


She Deserves Better

by celestia193, SilverKitsune2017



Category: Naruto
Genre: Action & Romance, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Family, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, Love Letters, Military, Minor Character Death, Panic Attacks, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Psychological Trauma, Sasuke has more lives than a cat, Sensuality, Slow Build, Torture, True Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-02
Updated: 2018-01-20
Packaged: 2019-02-27 12:28:20
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 39
Words: 192,926
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13248240
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/celestia193/pseuds/celestia193, https://archiveofourown.org/users/SilverKitsune2017/pseuds/SilverKitsune2017
Summary: "You deserve better." Sasuke knew that Hinata deserved better, but he loved her anyway. "But I do love you." He had ever since she sent him those love letters. It didn't matter that they had originally been intended for someone else. Those letters revealed a beautiful soul. It had taken him years and lot of pain to finally tell her how he felt, but there was no turning back now.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Celestia193's Author's Note: This story is going to be quite intense at times and was difficult to write at some points. If you're willing to suffer through the pain, we promise fluff, smut, and all sorts of good things.
> 
> Disclaimer: We own nothing and make no profit off of any of our fanfictions.

To say the least, Sasuke really, really hated high school. “Not again!” He glares at pile of envelopes and carefully folded pieces of paper that fell out of his locker the moment he opened it. “This is ridiculous.” How did they even find out that he changed lockers with Naruto this fast?! This had to be some kind of record.

Love letters. While Sasuke hated most of high school and wasn’t naturally the most social creature, despite his efforts to at least talk to people and not be a complete bastard as Naruto put it, the world apparently didn’t quite agree with his preferred introverted nature. In fact, the world was quite fond of telling him to fuck off. Ironically, usually with love letters or giggles.

“Oh come on, Sasuke.” Naruto grins. “It can’t be that bad!” The blond was his best friend, but they couldn’t be more different.

Naruto was the archetype of loveable, dumb jock. Alright. That last part wasn’t fair. Naruto generally made straight B’s, but he was oblivious about some stuff. Like why Sasuke had no interest in the love letters that kept piling up in his locker.

Sasuke rolls his eyes. “Even if I liked any of them, there wouldn’t be any point.” He was graduating in less than a year anyway and had already gotten accepted into West Point, not that he had told his parents that. “I’m going off to college next year and I doubt any of them are going to the same school.”

He’d applied to a dozen different schools, including Harvard, Yale, and Princeton, just to make his father happy. His father wanted him to go into business or politics, something ‘respectable’. The truth was, he had other ideas in mind, plans that he kept pretty close to his chest, which is why he’d told no one about applying to the military academy.

Sasuke knew very well that his parents would throw a fit if they knew where he was planning on going for the fall semester. So, he kept up the pretense of being interested in Harvard and going into law. Something ‘respectable’. And sure, law was interesting enough, not business law or that boring stuff, but criminal law. He was interested in saving the world. So…why not start by doing it himself?

That was why he’d already chosen West Point. And first, he had to find just the right time to break it to his best friend, as well as his brother.

That said…the letters he held in his grip were annoying the fuck out of him. “You’d think that they’d just give up after I’ve told them a million times that I’m not interested.” He’d been singing the same tune since he’d hit puberty, and actually, even before then. He’s just not interested in shallow, brainless fangirls who have nothing better to do than bat their eyelashes, giggle endlessly, and blow kisses at him.

"Eh. What can I say, they're dedicated." Naruto grins. "Most guys would kill to be in your position." He opens his own locker and a few love letters fall out as well. Sasuke and Naruto were definitely two most popular guys at the school. "I mean, I like the attention. It's just I want to make sure that I choose the right one."

“The right one?” Sasuke scoffs. “High school sweethearts are a myth, if that’s what you’re hoping for.” He wasn’t expecting to find anyone worth the time and effort of a relationship in high school. Better to wait for college, where the more intelligent and ambitious girls would show up, the dumb ones weeded out.

He eyes the letters distastefully, all of them packed into brightly colored envelopes, with shimmering stickers and glossy, if sloppy penmanship on them. Annoying.

"Well it doesn't necessarily have to be in high school." Naruto smiles. "It could be later on, but there's someone out there for everyone. Even for you Captain Ice Dick." He grins. "Oh that one's expensive." Naruto blinks as he looks at a beautiful gold envelop with some rather elegant cursive on it done in what looked like silver paint.

About to growl at Naruto for the stupid insult, Sasuke catches sight of the light reflecting off the envelope, silver and gold, a beautiful, and obviously very expensive kind of paper. “What the…?” Tossing the other letters aside, he slowly opens the envelope, being careful not to just rip it open, and he slides out a much neater letter than the others he usually got. “That…isn’t normal.” Even less so when he opened it to see the same curvy silver writing as on the envelope. And, just like the envelope, there’s no name on it.

I know that you must get letters from admirers every day and I know that you don't know me well. That's understandable. I'm not the girl that anyone notices first, but I am the one that loves you most. I don't want to bother you...but I feel like time is running out. We graduate in a few months and I have to know, if there is any possibility that you might feel the same.

So I decided to turn this into a game. I’ll give you clues until prom. If you ever figure it out you can leave a note with your guess by the hole behind the water fountain. It's large enough. I've checked. If you don't, I'll be the one with the white rose in my hair standing by the stairs when the first song begins to play.

The words of the letter slowly sink into Sasuke’s mind, and all he can do is blink at the wholly unexpected surprise. This was a far cry from the usual letters. This one was…unique…special even. “Well, that’s different.”

"Yeah. Pretty rare to see someone write in cursive." Naruto smiles brightly. "So what'd that one say? Must be pretty good for them to freaking handpaint it. That's like calligraphy or whatever that's called. That's some pretty old school stuff!"

“Yeah, pretty old school. It says that she, I assume it’s a she, anyway…” Sasuke couldn’t be totally sure, seeing as he knew he’d gotten a few letters from guys as well. Not that he was a bigot about that kind of thing. No, they just…lacked certain parts that Sasuke considered a requirement for having his interest is all. “Is going to give me clues as to who she is up until prom, and if I guess who it is, I can leave a note next to the water fountain with my guess. If I can’t guess, she’ll be the one at prom with the white rose in her hair.” And had apparently liked him for a long time. “See for yourself.” He tilts the letter towards Naruto, pretty sure that a second opinion from his best friend would help.

He takes a look at it. "That's pretty romantic. Well that and she's good at rhyming." Naruto pauses as he considers that. "She's definitely going after the wrong guy. You're way too much of a bastard for someone this...mushy." He sticks his tongue out at Sasuke playfully.

While he hated to admit it, that was probably true. Well, maybe. Actually, probably not. Not if his secret poetry books and the hidden row of books dealing with fantasy and romance behind his row of textbooks had anything to say about it. Not that he would ever admit that out loud, especially in front of Naruto. The blond idiot would never let him live it down. “Whatever, idiot.” He folds the letter back up and slides it back into the envelope, putting it up at the top of his locker. “Anyway, I’ll play this game. It could be an interesting way to pass the time.” Like a murder mystery, figuring out who did it.

"Well don't know who the poor girl is, but she's already gotten more of your ice dick to thaw than the others." Naruto laughs as he pats Sasuke on the back. "So maybe she's got a chance after all. Come on. We better get going, if we don't wanna be late for gym."

Great, another opportunity for the girls to ogle him all covered in sweat. At least in gym, Naruto got just as much, if not more attention than he did. Sasuke was no slouch when it came to sports, but he did focus rather hard on academics. More than Naruto anyway. “Fine, but if any of the girls sneak into the locker room again, looking for my tomatoes and a lock of my hair, I’m going to set something on fire.” The last time that had happened…he found the altar dedicated to him in the girls’ locker room with Naruto. That had been a horrifying day.

And he did not have a dick made of ice.

"I really don't get what they were going to do with your hair anyway." Naruto blinks. "You don't think they are going to like try to use it and cast some sort of crazy black magic love spell on you, do you?" Naruto blinks again. "Cause I've seen some shit like that in a couple movies." The blond looks at Sasuke as they head into the locker room. "At least, they can eat the tomatoes!"

“But they were MY lunch, idiot. And I don’t know what they wanted to do with my hair, or how they even got it in the first place, but I don’t want to know.” Sasuke shivers at the thought of just what kinds of movies, that Naruto had tried to make him watch, had black magic love spells in them. Probably the ones that crazy fangirls watched.

* * *

 

Meanwhile Hinata was in the girl's locker room. She had just changed and was waiting for the teacher to take the roll call before they would head out to join the boys. The bluenette could only hope that she wasn't shaking because her heart was pounding. Today, she had finally done it. She had finally sent Naruto the first love letter!

“So, what’s got you so excited?” Ino grins from next to Hinata, noting that her usually quiet classmate was shaking in a way very unlike her. That meant something was going on, and that meant juicy gossip.

Hinata wasn't proud of it, but she squeaks. "O-Oh. Nothing. Just the start of our s-senior year is all." That was true, but it wasn't all of it. She was telling Naruto how she felt about him one way or another because this was her last chance to do so. "How are you?" Not that Ino needed to know that. She adored Ino and was friends with her, but her friend was also a Gossip Queen and Hinata didn't want her love for Naruto to be the talk of the school.

“Excited for prom, what else?” Ino grins at the thought of her prom dress, already picked out of course. All she had to do was finish putting together the accessories for the outfit. “But how about you? You’re shaking, and your eyes are darting around like you’re expecting chocolate to fall from the sky. What gives? Or is this about prom? Has anyone asked you to go yet?”

Hinata blinks. "Ino, it's only the second day back." She laughs. "It's a bit early for people to be asking each other to prom." She knew that was hypocritical since she had already asked Naruto to prom in a way, but she doubted any guys were going to ask the girls for months. "Though I’m glad you're excited." Dodging the subject was likely her best bet. Hinata Hyuga was a terrible liar.

“Hinata, it’s never too early to be asking someone to prom. If you get the promise early, hen you can make sure that no one else snatches up the guy you like!” And Ino knew well that Hinata liked someone, she was too skittish for that not to be what was going on. Plus, she’d seen loads of crushes before. Yeah, this had to be Hinata crushing on someone, bad. Ino grins mischievously. “Come on, Hinata, at least tell me that you have a dress picked out. That’s the most important part!” A bad dress was guaranteed to make any prom a nightmare. Even more of a nightmare than wearing the same dress as someone else.

A dress? It was months away! "Well I guess, maybe it wouldn't hurt to at least look for a dress. I don't have one at the moment." Hinata wasn't one to care about fashion that much. Her style was rather casual and at best it might be considered cute and sporty. At worst, well it was a little bland and conservative. "Maybe, we can go after school or something."

Ino DID know about dresses. Her friend might be able to help her. "That is, if you don't already have plans. I know you're busy with cheerleading." She needed to find something special for Naruto after all.

Ino holds up two fingers eagerly. “Cheerleading starts up again next week, we’re all still recovering from the summer camp.” It had been hard work, and several of the girls had gotten pulled muscles, but in the end, the results were worth it. Their routines were ambitious and almost flawless. They just had a few things to tweak and perfect before homecoming. “We can totally go shopping today, and if we can’t find anything good, we can go to this place in Queens! We can spend a whole weekend there!”

Idly, Hinata wonders what she had gotten herself into. "That sounds fun." Ino's shopping stamina was certainly a good deal higher than her own. "I'll just tell my father that I'll be home late for dinner tonight." She smiles at her. But Hinata just couldn't say no, her friend was so excited and she really did need a dress anyway.

“Great!” Ino claps her hands together as the teacher finishes the roll call. “It’s a date!” And while they were out shopping, maybe she could pry a few details out of her shy and stubborn friend.

Hinata heads out with the other girls to play dodgeball. They were going to play with the guys. That meant, it was more likely than not that this was going to get rougher than usual. Everyone got so...competitive when the girls and boys were playing together.

Sasuke honestly didn’t like dodgeball. Give him soccer, or better yet, basketball any day. He also didn’t like it when it was boys against girls. He wasn’t a wimp by any means, he just didn’t really like hitting girls, no matter how annoying they were, well, at least not very hard. Of course, if they thought that they were going to tag him out, they had another thing coming. He’d tag them out, just…with a little more mercy than he would the guys.

Hinata grabs onto the ball and throws it at Lee. Mostly because she knew that boy could move and he'd dodge it. She didn't like hitting people. That and she was a bit distracted. Naruto tended to hang out a lot with Lee. "You'll have to do better than that, friend Hinata!" Lee beams at her as he dodges and scoops up the ball. Which meant she had a reason to stare at him and also Sasuke. Those two were just inseparable.

Hinata generally didn't pay much attention to him. He was Naruto's best friend and that was that. Sure, most of the girls liked him because he was attractive. Hinata wasn't blind, but it was like admiring the Moon. You'd be stupid to actually expect to touch it. (Well unless you were an astronaut, which Hinata wasn't). That was one of the reasons why she liked Naruto so much. He was so approachable. Well except to her, but that was just because she was so shy.

Sasuke sighs. Honestly, some of the girls were making it too easy, he could just catch balls left and right as they toss them far too gently at him. The only ones who gave him a real challenge were Ino and Tenten. The cheerleader and the tomboy, what a combination.

Tenten laughs. "TAKE THIS, SASUKE!" She hurls the ball at him with enough force that it was a wonder that she wasn't a professional pitcher for a baseball team yet. "See if you can dodge that!"

Quick as a flash, Sasuke bends over backwards, hands hitting the ground as the ball zooms over his head. He kicks his feet into the air, flipping over and landing on one foot, catching the ball with the other and kicking it up into his hand like a soccer ball. “Hope you don’t mind if I return it.” He hurls it right back at her, aiming for her middle. Head shots were off limits.

Tenten's eyes widen in awe and just a small bit of fear. Hinata manages to push her out of the way and take the shot. She winces as it hits her arm. It stung, but not as much as it would have hurt Tenten. Though, even with a stunt like that, she knew Sasuke was holding back. "Hinata, are you okay?!" The brunette races over to her.

"Yeah. I'm fine. I'm out though." She smiles as she rubs her arm. There was going to be a bruise there, but oh well. "I don't really like dodgeball that much anyway.”

Well, he hadn’t gotten Tenten out, but at least Hinata would be out of the game. Sasuke didn’t particularly like that he’d hit her so hard, but she was tougher than she looked. Not to mention she could aim like it was nobody’s business, and that would get really annoying later. All around, it was a good thing she was out. Now he could focus on Tenten while Hinata iced what was sure to be a decent bruise.

The gym teacher sighs. "Hinata, you should go to the nurse and get an ice pack for that. I'll write you a note to get out of your next class, if you don't feel up to it." Guy shakes his head. "That was very youthful of you to protect your teammate. And nice reflexes, Sasuke!" He flashes them both a blindingly bright smile.

Sasuke rolls his eyes at the exuberant display by their gym teacher. That was nothing new, the man had always been rather…flamboyant. Though he wished that the man would stop wearing that green jumpsuit. It made his eyes burn. “Right.” He dodges another ball, picking up one that rolls by his feet, and hurling it towards the very agile cheerleader. She was another problem on the court, and contrary to what he used to think, was not the dumb blond stereotype. No, after one particularly painful soccer game last year, he’d never underestimate Ino again. Taking her out now was the best course of action, and Tenten as well if he could manage it.

Ino dodges and picks up the ball as she smiles playfully at Sasuke. "Don't worry, I won't rough you up too much." She hurls the ball at him. "I wouldn't want to hurt that pretty face of yours before prom!" Teasing him was so much fun now that she didn’t have all those hearts in her eyes blocking her vision. Seriously, she should have gotten over him sooner, this was way better!

Naruto laughs. "I'm sure Romeo appreciates that." He couldn't resist joining in. "Sasuke, you should be nicer to the girls. Remember, Silver and Gold!" A reference to the letter.

Sasuke rolls his eyes again. “Shut up, idiot.” Prom was not something he was worried about, if he even bothered to go at all. And as for the letter…well, he’d give it a month tops before he knew who’d given it to him. Or maybe three clues, whatever came first.

Naruto shrugs. "Just saying. You never know." The blond was secretly looking to see if anyone freaked out at the subtle reference. If they did, that was probably the one. "Anyway, come on, Ino. Let's see what you've got."

Unfortunately, Hinata was already halfway down the hall by the time Naruto pulled that stunt. So his efforts were in vain. "Damn it." She sighs as she looks down at her arm. That was going to leave a hell of a bruise. If Sasuke was the Moon, she had just gotten hit by a freaking asteroid.

Sasuke was more than willing to throw a ball at Naruto’s head at this point. But he resisted the urge in favor of teaming up with Naruto to try and take out Ino and Tenten. Together, he and Naruto were almost unstoppable. But Ino and Tenten…now those two were a force to be reckoned with on the girls’ side of the gym.

"Ino, we're kinda in trouble here." Tenten glances at her friend. Sasuke might hold back at least somewhat against the girls, but even then...he was fiercely competitive and Naruto well sometimes that blond didn't know his own strength. "We've gotta take them out fast."

“I can see that!” Ino grabs two balls as classmates go down left and right on both sides, some of them being taken out by stray balls being lobbed by the four of them. This was becoming less of a game, and turning into more of a tag-team wrestling match between two of the most competitive boys, and two of the feistiest girls in their grade.

Tenten tries valiantly to help Ino. "Alright, I'll take Naruto and you take Sasuke!" And with that, she grabs one of the balls and throws it at the sapphire-eyed high school boy. "Take that!"

“Right!” Ino whips one of the balls at Sasuke, aiming high enough to at least scare him a little while Tenten gathers up some of the stray balls for them.

Sasuke narrowly dodges the ball as it whips past his neck. Head shots were off limits, but the neck and down…well, no one was going to get a concussion from that, so it was allowed. At least she wasn’t aiming for anything particularly…soft. That would be really unpleasant, and Hinata wouldn’t be the only one going to the office for an ice pack. “Naruto!” He signals with one hand. They were going to need to barrage the girls with their signature team attack. They didn’t usually work together that closely, but desperate times called for desperate measures, and like hell was he going to let the girls win.

Naruto nods and gets into position. "Alright, bastard!" He grins. "Let's do this!" He smiles at Ino and Tenten. "Sorry, girls. We aren't going to let you win this one."

Sasuke picks up a ball in each hand, tossing them to Naruto as he kicks two more balls over his shoulder and into his palms. And as Ino turns around, the barrage begins. Sasuke hurls the balls he has at the girls, before doing a handspring backwards to pick up two more balls, tossing them high into the air for Naruto to catch as he goes for the last two on their side.

Naruto quickly catches them and tosses them at the girls. "No hard feelings!" He beams at them as the balls strike their intended targets. "Just you know, we don't like losing."

Ino yelps as she takes four balls to the legs and nearly trips. “Dammit!” She was so looking forward to putting these two in their place!

Naruto laughs and walks over. "Here, let me help you." She looked pretty unsteady on her feet. "Guess we got a little carried away."

Hinata blinks as she walks back into the gym and sees the carnage. "A little?" She laughs quietly. That was putting it mildly.

Sasuke chuckles at the sight of Naruto playing the knight in shining armor. He couldn’t do that, no way. Mercy was about as far as he’d go in terms of chivalry. After what those girls nearly pulled, he’d let Ino fall on her ass. “We win again, Ino.”

Ino pouts at her smirking opponent as she takes Naruto’s hand. “We’ll get you next time, just you wait!”

“Right.” Sasuke’s smirk widens. “Good luck with that.” Next time, he’d have to make sure to take them out twice as fast.


	2. Chapter 2

Sasuke smiles faintly as he hides his latest poetry book on its usual shelf. Not that he really needed to hide it, it’s not like anyone but Itachi ever went snooping through his stuff. And he could trust Itachi to keep a secret. Especially one that their father might disapprove of. The last thing he wanted was to see those eyes glaring at his poetry book, or worse, someone throwing it out.

He was never really good at the whole…expressing his feelings thing. Naruto could draw out some of the more volatile emotions, mostly the brighter stuff, but sometimes, the darker stuff crept up on him, and that’s when he would take pen to paper. Writing things down was always so much easier than talking about it. And it let him go back to consider his problems and work towards solutions, as well as monitor change.

Which is why he always hid his books, because if his father saw what was in them, he’d get THOSE eyes. It didn’t matter that he was top of his class in everything, Fugaku Uchiha would always find something wrong to silently criticize. So cold and unapproachable, it’s no wonder he’d always turned to Itachi for help, if he needed it.

"So I heard there was an incident in gym." Itachi wanders into his room. He didn't bother to knock, viewing such things as pointless. If Sasuke wasn't aware of his environment enough to hear his footsteps coming, he deserved to be snuck up. "Kisame's brother, Suigetsu says that there was a rather vicious game of dodgeball yesterday." His lips quirk upwards in amusement. "In his words, it was ‘fucking awesome’. Itachi chuckles.

At first Itachi had been confused as to how Kisame could be brothers with someone who looked well...someone who wasn't blue skinned, but that confusion didn't last long. "Anything I should be concerned about or just the usual gym class soap opera?" Apparently, Kisame had been adopted when his parents thought they couldn't have children and a few years later, along came the ‘miracle baby’, Mangetsu. Not long after that, Suigetsu had been born.

Thankfully, Mangetsu was relatively mild mannered compared to his more mischievous and boisterous siblings. "To hear Kisame tell the tale, it almost sounds like WWIII was fought with dodgeballs." And their parents had stopped at three children. The world could only handle one Kisame and one Suigetsu. Thank you very much!

Sasuke rolls his eyes, a motion that was becoming something of a habit. “It wasn’t that bad. Ino and Tenten were being stubborn and decided to tag-team me and Naruto. We got a bit…worked up, I guess.” Well, that was putting it mildly, since it wasn’t every day that Sasuke put his track team training to use, or the two years he’d secretly spent in gymnastics, thanks to Itachi’s help. Well, before he’d had to quit. Still, he kept up with his exercises every day for the sake of all his other sports. “So we tag-teamed them right back.”

Itachi chuckles. "Ah I see. Well I'm glad to hear there were no fatalities." He was joking, of course. Well mostly.

“You’re an ass sometimes, Itachi.” Sasuke shakes his head as he tosses some books into his bag. “Anyway, shouldn’t you be getting ready for class? I’m not the only one who has school today.”

"Mmm my first class isn't for another two hours." Itachi smiles and pokes his forehead. "Foolish little brother, one of the advantages of university is that there is some flexibility during scheduling. I'm not taking any class before noon, if I don't absolutely have to."

Sasuke grunts and rubs his forehead irritably. “And I thought I was the family night owl.” Sasuke would love to be able to sleep in that late and not have to worry about class. At West Point, he probably wasn’t going to be able to keep up his night owl habits much. “You’re not here just to check up on me after our dodgeball game from hell, are you?”

"I'm a morning person by habit, not by design." Itachi smiles. "Anyway, no. Though it did make for a good excuse and your gym exploits are always fascinating." He smiles dryly. "I wanted to talk to you about what happens after high school. I’ll admit that I’m worried about you."

Oh no, not again. Sasuke sits back against the desk in his room. “I’ve already applied to a dozen different schools, Itachi. Even Harvard, like Father wanted. With my grades, I’m sure to get in somewhere.”

He shakes his head. "Harvard is very prestigious and earning a degree from such an institution could only be a benefit, of course." The elder Uchiha Brother sighs as he sits down next to Sasuke. "And they'd be foolish not to admit you, but this isn't about what Father wants. It's about what you want."

Great, now Itachi was fishing for answers. And if he didn’t want to get Spanish Inquisitioned, Sasuke had to think fast. “Well, it’s not like any of them have a program shortage. I’ll be able to take anything once I’m there. And Harvard has one of the best criminal law programs in the world. It’s better than business law.” Sasuke scrunches his nose up at the very thought of business law, bland and dry and where ultimately, the good guys don’t win.

"That's all very true." Itachi sighs and ruffles his hair. "But whatever you actually want, I don't think that's it. Don't let your autobiography be written by someone else, Sasuke. Not even Father."

Sasuke twitches, but doesn’t smack his brother’s hand away, after all, there was only so much longer that he’d be able to do that. “Alright Itachi, and what is it that you think I want?”

"Honestly..." Itachi pauses. "I have no idea. I just don't think it's the path that Father has cut out for you." He smirks mischievously. "It also wouldn't hurt for you to act as a normal teenager once in awhile." Itachi knew that he was pushing his luck here, but teasing Sasuke was his guilty pleasure. "And get a girlfriend. Or a boyfriend. Whichever interests you more."

“Itachi!” Sasuke’s cheeks flush a light pink in his embarrassment and he shoves Itachi hard. “I already told you, I don’t need a girlfriend, and I’m NOT interested in guys!”

"Well you've shown no interest in women." He shrugs. "So it's only natural that I would consider the possibility that you prefer men." Itachi smiles serenely. "There's nothing wrong with it, if you did. Though I suppose you could just be dedicating yourself to your studies instead of your love life." He sighs dramatically. "And I know that most high school students can be rather...frivolous. Which likely doesn't appeal to you."

Sasuke returns to packing his bag, throwing the last few items in it. “Like I told Naruto, the whole high school sweethearts thing is a myth. Why look for someone now, only to leave for school next year. We’re not going to the same place, so why bother?”

"I suppose that's reasonable. Well." He shrugs. "You still have a few months to decide, I'll drop the matter for now. I just want you to be happy. And father wants the same, he just has a very bizarre way of expressing it."

True, he did still have months to decide. But he already had. And if Itachi was only dropping the matter for now, then he was going to find out sooner or later, probably sooner, rather than later. “Bizarre is putting it lightly. He glares at me whenever he’s home, and hasn’t said a word to me in two weeks.”

Itachi chuckles. "Would you care to trade places? I'd rather have the glares and silence." He rolls his eyes. "The man has been making recommendations for me. He wants me to essentially be ready to start wedding planning when I graduate." He shakes his head. "You would think we were discussing thoroughbred horses instead of life partners, sometimes."

Well, that was true, he supposed. “Glad I won’t have to worry about that. Sounds like a pain in the ass.” Their father was rather traditional, to put it mildly. Not so traditional in his discipline, but in his expectations. Luckily, Sasuke was the younger brother, and not quite old enough for their father to be interested in picking out a wife for.

His older brother shrugs. "Well I’m the eldest. I'll probably be pressured more than you, but in a few years...he'll probably do the same to you. Just with less vigor." And Itachi knew that wasn't going to end well.

Itachi was wrong, but Sasuke wasn’t about to tell him that. After all, it’d be hard for their father to try and pressure him to get married if he wasn’t even on the continent by the time he took an interest in it. “I’ll be fine, he won’t be able to get me to cave.”

Itachi laughs. "Mmm who do you think you are? Mother?" Quite possibly the only person who refused to be intimidated by Fugaku Uchiha.

“You’re the one who keeps saying that I look like her.” One of the banes of his existence. He was ‘pretty’ because he looked like his mother. “And no, I’m not. I’ll just be somewhere he can’t harass me about it.”

"You really are foolish if you think geography will save you from him. At a certain point, you just have to stand up to him." He pat pats him. "Well that's really all I had to say, did you have anything you wanted to tell me?"

It sounded like an innocent question, but Itachi was the kind of person who always wanted an answer. Sasuke clenches his fists. He trusted his brother, he really did, but…Itachi would probably try to stop him. Or maybe not, after all, he supported Sasuke in making his own path, so why would he stop now? “…I’ve already been accepted to the school I want to go to.”

Itachi blinks. "Well that was fast. Which one was it?"

“Do you promise not to get angry with me for it?” Because Sasuke knew full well that was a possibility. Itachi had always been protective of him, so there was a fifty-fifty chance on how he would take this.

"Well I can't promise that." That didn't sound good at all. And Sasuke’s tone worried Itachi. "But I won't yell at you and alert Father and Mother."

Sasuke swallows nervously. That was probably the best he was going to get out of Itachi. But if he was going to get support from anywhere, he hoped it would be from his big brother. “Well, Naruto’s been going on and on about going to the police academy after high school. But…I haven’t told him yet that I applied to West Point. I got in.” He reaches into his secret book rack for the letter, putting it down on the desk. “As long as I keep my grades up, I’m guaranteed a spot next year.”

Itachi blinks. "Sasuke, I want you to be happy, and it's very noble that you want to go into the service." He sighs, "But do you understand how dangerous it is? You could get blown up." He pauses. "I won't fight you on this. In some ways, that's even more prestigious than Harvard. I just wish you had…chosen something a little safer."

Yeah, he saw that argument coming. “Itachi, we live in New York. I’m just as likely to get shot or run over here as get blown up because I can’t figure out where a land mine is.” Sasuke had been practicing this defense in his head for months. “You’ve been telling me to make my own path for years, and…this is it.”

He nods. "Well I suppose I did somewhat ask for this." Itachi sighs. "I'll support you, but I really wish that it had been something a little more...stereotypical for rebellious teenagers."

Sasuke laughs quietly. “Since when have I been one to adhere to stereotypes?” He slings his backpack over his shoulder and sits back down next to Itachi. “Just…don’t tell Mother and Father, please. I don’t want them to try and stop me.”

"I won't tell them." He looks a little guilty. "You're a big boy now. It's your decision."

“Thank you.” Still, Sasuke wrinkles his nose. “But never call me a big boy again, it makes me think of those damn diaper commercials.”

"Only you, Sasuke." He chuckles. "And I suppose I was hoping that you would tell me about this. It fell out of your backpack." He hands him the golden letter from the day before.

Sasuke blinks at the envelope, before pulling it from his brother’s grip. “Ah, that’s just some love letter that got slipped into my locker.” He’d forgotten that he’d taken it home with him.

He chuckles. "I figured as much. Still not every day you see someone who can paint in cursive that well. Anyway, you should probably be going. You're going to be late for school."

Sasuke rolls his eyes, the motion becoming effortless and natural. “That’s because someone decided to Spanish Inquisition me.” If he wanted to make it to school on time, he’d have to take his bike instead of walking. That meant dragging the Suzuki out of the garage.

"Mmm well it is what I’m best at. After all, I fully plan on joining the FBI, after I graduate." And Itachi was actually serious about that.

Sasuke shivers at the thought. Right, that’s why his brother was taking a master’s in psychology and criminology, with a side of law, because he wanted to join the FBI. “You’re a scary asshole sometimes, Itachi.”

Itachi winks. "That's correct and don't forget it." He chuckles and heads off.

* * *

 

Sasuke takes his motorcycle to school that morning, making it just in time for the warning bell, and into class without any issues. He hadn’t meant to talk to Itachi this morning, and especially not for so long, or about what they’d talked about. But…he felt lighter, sharing that with his brother. Because keeping secrets to himself was slowly driving him insane.

Speaking of driving him insane…his locker was one again messily filled with even more letters than the day before. Damn it!

This time there was another golden letter. This one had H20 written on the front. The secret admirer clearly hadn't wasted any time.

Tossing the other letters into a bag that he planned to burn at the first opportunity, Sasuke reaches for the golden letter, opening it carefully. “Wonder what today’s clue is.” He hadn’t expected another clue so fast, after all, prom was months away. But if the admirer was eager, then he’d solve this amusing puzzle.

You probably don't remember this, but we took Chemistry in Junior year together. I always thought that was appropriate because I need you like water, like rain. Though....we probably could have used some more water that day that the Chem Lab caught on fire. The fire didn't scare you in the way it scared most of the others.

Sasuke smirks, he remembered THAT incident. It had been during one of their labs for the class, and Naruto had gotten a little over-enthusiastic with mixing the test tubes together. If Sasuke hadn’t been there to stop him, the whole lab probably would have gone up in flames. And while the other students were running around, trying to evacuate, he’d been the one to grab the fire extinguishers and toss one to Naruto so they could put the fire out before it scorched the whole room.

Still, that meant that he knew her, to an extent. But there were a lot of girls in that chemistry class, their school was pretty big. That only narrowed it down to about twenty people. He was going to need another hint.

* * *

 

Elsewhere, Hinata was still blushing from the night before. Some of the dresses that Ino had suggested were well outrageous. At least, by her standards. "I guess we're going to Queens later on." And things had only gotten worse when Ino had decided she wanted to make sure Hinata got shoes to go with the dress AND some lingerie. The Hyuga woman thought that she was going to die of embarrassment when the blond had walked down THAT aisle. The lingerie aisle.

“Good, there’s a much better selection in some of the dress shops.” Ino beams next to Hinata. “There’s this one place I like that specializes in evening gowns.” She’d frequented it herself, seeing as she helped out in her family’s chain of flower shops as a floral designer in training. She hadn’t graduated yet, so she couldn’t be called that officially, but everyone knew better than that and she often was asked for help. That meant attending some rather elaborate functions to help with decorating. The evening gowns were for those ties when decorating turned into an invitation to stay and mingle.

"Yes, I'm sure that we'll find something." Hinata smiles. Evening gowns were better. "So what class do you have next?" They probably covered more than the other dresses her friend had suggested.

Ino elbows her friend gently. “Now, why don’t you tell me who you’re hoping to go with to prom? If you’re willing to go shopping with me, it means that you must have someone in mind.”

She blushes more. "Well...maybe. I don't k-know if he likes me though." Actually, Hinata doubted that he was even more than marginally aware of her existence.

“So there is someone!” She knew it! That had to be why Hinata was acting so excited and uppity the last few days. Ino could press this advantage. “Are you going to ask him, or are you waiting for him to ask you? If you don’t know if he likes you, then you have to take the initiative and put yourself out there! Make him see how amazing you are.”

"Well I w-was hoping that he'd ask me." If he figured it out and liked her. "If not and he g-goes to prom alone, I was going to ask him to dance or something."

Ino’s face falls a little. “Hinata, if you don’t make it known that you’re interested in going with him, he might not ask you. Though it’s great that you’re planning to ask him to dance, anyway. Who is it? Maybe I can help you!”

She blushes. "I'd rather not say." Hinata pauses. "I know that you're trying to help, but I'm not sure how he'd respond to your methods. He's more....casual, I guess?"

The blond blinks slowly. “So…you mean he’s not into pushy methods, or you’re after some kind of playboy? Hinata, you’re way too good to date a playboy! Please tell me that you mean he’s just really laid back.” If not, this could be a disaster in the making. Ino didn’t know if Hinata was capable of handling a guy who played around and was too pushy. In fact, she believed the opposite.

"Oh no!" Hinata knew that she would have to defend Naruto. "He's definitely not a playboy. He doesn't really date that much." Naruto had had a couple girlfriends since middle school and throughout their high school career. Four. Each one had been like a dagger to her heart, but none of them had been ‘The One’. At least three of them had just been puppy love. "He is very kind though. Friendly and approachable." For awhile, she had been really worried about the fourth, but that relationship only lasted six months.

“Oh, good.” Ino breathes a sigh of relief. There was a big difference between a casual attitude, and a casual dating life. The latter was a big no-no for her friend to be wading into. And not dating much meant that he didn’t sleep around, but that he wasn’t a total novice, that was good. “Okay, well he sounds like he could be good for you. How long have you had your eye on him?”

She blushes. "Well I've liked him since elementary school, but it didn't turn into more until middle school." And even then that had been puppy love. It had just grown into more during high school.

“Wow…” Ino hadn’t ever liked someone for that long. And she’d had more than her fair share of boyfriends. Even a couple of girlfriends. Hm…speaking of which, maybe Tenten would be interested… Wait no, not the point. “Okay, so you’ve liked this guy for a while, so what’s stopping you from approaching him? You’re not exactly a stranger if you’ve been around him since grade school.”

"Well...I'm not like you." Damn. That could be taken the wrong way. "I'm not as brave about approaching guys and he's really popular. So he's rarely alone..."

“Ah…so you need to get him alone…or confess in a way that won’t embarrass you in front of the whole school.” Ino taps her lip, thinking the situation through. “Well…what about love letters?” It was pretty old school and childish, but their school seemed to love that. Girls were always throwing love letters around, there were probably enough of them to make a storm of confetti for prom every year.

She nods. "Exactly, well I started doing that this year. I already sent him two." Hinata fidgets nervously. "I thought maybe the s-secret admirer thing might get his attention."

Ino claps her hands eagerly. “That’s perfect! And by doing the secret admirer thing, you’ll get him interested in who you are, and he’ll try to figure it out so he can ask his Cinderella to the ball before prom!”

She blushes. "Yes, that's what I was hoping for." Well most girls hoped for that sort of thing. So maybe, that wasn't surprising.

“You’re leaving him clues, right? If you don’t leave him clues, he’ll never know whose foot the glass slipper belongs on.” And Ino knew that any guy special enough to catch Hinata’s attention would end up with the wrong girlfriend if he went around asking all of the girls if they wrote the letter. Some bitch could claim she did it before Hinata could. And like hell was that happening.

"Yes, I’m leaving him clues." Hinata smiles. "It would…defeat the purpose, if I didn't."

“Okay, good.” Ino nods with approval. “But make sure not to give him too many clues too fast. Like maybe one a week, or every other week. You don’t want him to figure it out too fast and lose interest. So…maybe put a clue in every other letter, drag it out, let him get to know you, make him fall for you even before he figures it out!” Ino’s face lit up excitedly, she was a genius!

She tilts her head. "That's a lot of options." Hinata didn't really know which one to pick.

“Oh, pick the last one, it’ll have the best results!” Ino grabs Hinata’s hands, squeezing them tightly. “We’re going to get you a date for prom, alright? Maybe even a boyfriend!”

She smiles. "Alright." Hinata could do that. "That's what I’ll do. Thanks, Ino."

“Perfect, so all you have to do is pick a day of the week and time to drop the letters off, and your sweetheart will start to expect them and it’ll increase the anticipation!” Ino could see so many ways to milk this. “So, for your next letter…”


	3. Chapter 3

Wednesday rolls around again, and after the two letters last week, then a period of silence, Sasuke had assumed that the secret admirer had given up. It was faster than most of the others, but that was no skin off his nose.

Well, until this morning when he found another golden envelope adorned with silver cursive. What, was the admirer deciding to pace themselves now? How weird, none of the other girls did that. At least, he was assuming it was a girl, upon inspection of the letters, and Itachi barging into his room and looking over his shoulder, they’d decided it was a girl’s handwriting.

He removes the envelope from the locker, ignoring the pile of other, flashier envelopes. He couldn’t help but wonder what this secret admirer was going to say after no contact at all for almost a week. Time to find out, as the silver cursive of the letter greets his eyes.

 

**_I'm sorry that it's been so long since I wrote. It just occurred to me, that if I wrote you every day... you might guess too quickly._ **

**_I hope that you've been well. I know that was quite the fierce game of dodgeball last week and some of the girls can be just as competitive as the boys. I thought that it would be good to tell you more about myself._ **

**_I've mentioned it before, but we're both seniors. My family is a very traditional one. I have a younger sister and a cousin, whom I love dearly. My father has high standards. Maybe, that's why I'm so shy. I've always been afraid of not meeting them. I've applied to several universities already. He expects me to be admitted early to at least one of them. Most likely an Ivy League School. I wonder sometimes what you'll do after high school._ **

**_Sometimes it's hard to imagine what life will be like after graduation. I've often hoped that we could have some kind of future together, even if we don't attend the same university. My top choice is Princeton. For a silly reason. I used to be quite fond of fairy tales and so was my mother. She used to say that's where all the princes and princesses went. She went there... Anyway, I shall write you every Wednesday, if possible. And if it's alright, I'll check often to see if you've guessed who I really am. Until next time._ **

 

Sasuke’s stomach tightens for a moment. Ivy League, that’s what his father expected of him as well. He was making a pretty big deviation from whatever his father had planned for him. But apparently, this girl was a lot more ambitious than your average high school student. “A princess, huh?” Fairy tales were nice enough, but he knew that they rarely happened in real life.

Still, he tucks the letter into his backpack with the others. Maybe later, he could line them up and figure something out faster. After all, if this girl was going for Ivy League, then she could definitely be smart enough to use code.

* * *

 

Of course, this was high school. So things were seldom quiet for long. "Kiba! For the last time, Akamaru does not qualify as a service dog! You aren't blind!" The principal glares at the Inuzuka. "I'm going to have to call your mother and have her get him."

The dog didn't seem to care though. He trots around, enjoying all the attention. His tail wagging a mile a minute as he paws right over to Ino and Hinata, who were apparently discussing Queens for some reason. "Akamaru." Hinata smiles and pets the dog. Kiba was her neighbor, so she knew this particular canine well.

Kiba laughs wildly as he races over to Akamaru, trying to escape their angry principal. The old hag. “Hey Hinata! Thanks for slowing down Akamaru!” The dog had more energy than a nuclear power plant, and Kiba could barely keep up with him sometimes. Hinata was a nice, calming influence on the dog, something Kiba appreciated when trying to catch the giant white dog.

"Well I'm not sure I slowed him down." She smiles. "But you're welcome. You should probably have him go home though. You don't want detention again, do you?" She laughs as she pets the dog.

“Aw…what fun would that be!?” Kiba loved having his dog with him at school, even if it got him into trouble, and the occasional, read as frequent, detention. “But I guess I should probably call my sis. Akamaru’s gotta get his shots today anyway.”

“Bringing the dog to school again, Kiba?” Sasuke walks by with Naruto, resisting the urge to roll his eyes. “Seriously, he’s going to break something at this rate.”

"Probably a good idea." Hinata agrees. She smiles shyly at Naruto and by default Sasuke. "Akamaru is actually very well trained. He just loves to meet new people. It's.. Kiba who is more likely to break things." She stuttered less around people who weren't Naruto or when she wasn’t nervous. Talking about an overgrown puppy didn't make her nervous.

“Hn, like I didn’t know that already.” Sasuke was completely aware of the fact that Kiba was not the most careful person in their class.

“Oh, shut up, Uchiha!” Kiba growls a bit, despite having his fingers tangled in his dog’s fur. “No one asked you.”

“You didn’t have to.” Sasuke’s smirk only grows at the sight of the disheveled dog boy.

"Alright guys." Naruto shakes his head. "Play nice and stop bickering like an old married couple or people will start to talk. Not that there's anything wrong with liking another guy, but yeah. You two would destroy the school." He laughs.

“Shut up, loser.” Sasuke strides past Naruto heading for the cafeteria for lunch. Obviously the idiot didn’t know what an old married couple sounded like, because his parents were nothing like that.

Naruto twitches. "Stop being such a bastard!" He follows after him and Hinata sighs after they leave. Naruto wasn't acting any different around her. He probably just hadn't guessed yet though. It was still early.

“Make me.” Sasuke enjoyed the bickering, and damn it, he was going to enjoy it while he could, because a school year just wasn’t really all that long. “We do not argue like an old married couple. And this, coming from the guy who obsesses over the love letters I get from GIRLS, is a little creepy.”

"Hey! I'm your best friend!" Naruto grumbles. "I'm supposed to help you with that stuff and yeah, you do! You do too!"

“Do not.” Naruto just had a way of riling him up that no one else could manage. It was weird. Still, Sasuke did not bicker like a married man, especially not one married to another man. “And why the hell is helping me with my non-existent love life your job?” That was one thing that Sasuke really didn’t get. Was there some kind of rule that said best friends had to meddle in each other’s love lives? He thought that only applied to parents and siblings.

"It's in the best friend handbook." Naruto grins. "Besides, let's face it. You really need to get laid. Someone has to yank that stick out of your ass. Maybe if you shoved your stick...well you know." Naruto tails off.

Sasuke doesn’t hesitate to clock Naruto roughly over the head. “And you don’t need to upgrade meddling in my love life to meddling in my sex life. I’m perfectly fine without help.”

"Oh yeah?" He winces. "Owe! You damn bastard!" Naruto rubs his bruising head. "When's the last time you went out on a date?"

“Don’t remember, don’t care. I’m too focused on school to agonize over not dating.” In truth, Sasuke really didn’t remember, especially since he was trying to avoid shallow relationships. It was sometime a year ago, right? That sounded about right.

"You're like a robot sometimes." Naruto rolls his eyes. "I bet if I moved that perfect hair of yours to the side, I’d see a memory chip or something."

“Touch it, and I will punch your lights out.” Sasuke pulls his lunch bag out, packed specially by Itachi, the mother hen.

Naruto laughs. "Alright. Alright." He takes out his own lunch and bites into a rather thick looking sandwich. One couldn't exactly store ramen in their locker and he was a growing boy, after all. At least that's what his own mother would say.

Sasuke pulls out a container of chicken salad, a much smaller sandwich, and a smaller container of chopped mango. Healthy food, Itachi said, with a variety of vitamins and minerals that led to a healthy body and healthy mind. Sometimes, he wanted to strangle Itachi to make him stop with the lectures.

Then, Sasuke smirks again. “Besides, the chip is in my neck, idiot.

"Ah so that's why you're always so freaky with the high collars." Though he had ditched them sometime in middle school, Naruto still liked to tease him about it. "Makes sense."

“Yes, Naruto, I’m secretly a cyborg, here to take over the world and subjugate the human race.” Sasuke eyes Naruto seriously. “That’s why I have a microchip in my neck that I used to hide with high collars until it shifted deep enough into my skin that it became invisible.”

He blinks. "You're a little scary sometimes." Naruto blinks again. Sometimes he really didn't know what was going on in his best friend's head.

“Well, it shuts you up. Now let me eat.” Seriously, it seemed like Sasuke always had to resort to drastic measures in order to get some peace and quiet around Naruto. Not that peace and quiet was always a good thing. “If you want to talk about something, make it not about me. Like…” Wait, there was a dog around earlier, so maybe… “Are you planning to work with the police dogs after the academy? You seem to like Akamaru and Kiba well enough.”

He tilts his head as if considering it. "Never really thought about it." Naruto pauses thoughtfully. "I guess that'd be pretty cool."

Sasuke polishes off the last of the chicken salad in seconds, pointing his fork at Naruto. “You do have some idea about what you want to do after the academy, right? Or do you just want to try and work your way up to detective?”

"I figured I'd just work my way up." He grins. "My father runs the place. Shouldn't be that hard." He was mostly joking though. Naruto wouldn't take the easy way out for anything.

Right, Minato Namikaze, the Police Commissioner of the NYPD, where the motto was ‘Faithful Unto Death’. Kind of morbid, but Sasuke could respect it. “Well, you’ve been screaming about wanting to be a hero just like your dad since we were in kindergarten. I guess this just comes with the territory. But you do know that there’s over a dozen different units, right?”

Naruto nods excitedly. "Well yeah!" He grins widely. "But they all sound really cool. So I'll just go wherever he puts me."

That was such a Naruto answer. Sasuke honestly didn’t know how his best friend did it. He’d debated for months over where he would go after the academy. Naruto made it sound so easy. “And you’re still planning on dragging Kiba there kicking and screaming?” Well, maybe the dog boy would howl instead, at least until getting doggy piled by the K9 unit.

Naruto nods excitedly. "Yeah. I think he'll really like being a canine officer." He smirks. "Even if you don't like him, you gotta admit that he's pretty tough."

“That’s true.” Sasuke had seen that guy take more damage during sports than most of the class, and still get back up. The only one he knew was more resilient…well, is sitting right across the lunch table for him. “He’ll definitely make a good cop, as long as he’s got the dogs to set him straight.”

The blonde laughs. "Yeah. Akamaru will keep him in line." Naruto's eyes sparkle with mischief. "Speaking of straight, any word from the secret admirer with the fancy writing?"

Yeah, Sasuke had seen this coming. Sooner or later, Naruto would start to pry. So, he picks at the mango pieces in front of him. “Looks like whoever it is has decided to pace herself. Doesn’t want me figuring out the mystery too quickly. From what I can tell, it’s a girl in our class that we had chemistry with last year, and at least knows about our throw-down with Ino and Tenten last week.”

"Hmm well I'd say that means she's in our gym class." He pauses. "But you know how the gossip mill is. It's possible she just heard about it." Naruto smiles. "Though the chemistry class does narrow it down a bit. That means she's gotta be like one of twenty girls instead of like one out of two hundred in our year."

“That’s about what I’d narrowed it down to.” Though Sasuke had never paid much attention to how the girls each wrote. Besides, there were computer programs that could write in cursive like that for you, weren’t there? Unless he had a sample to compare to, narrowing it down through handwriting would take too long. And there was no way he was giving twenty girls hope that they could date him. Way too much hassle.

"Well anything else that the letters said?" He looks at him thoughtfully. "I mean it's a good start, but we need more to go on."

“Yeah, there’s a bit more.” Sasuke skims over the letter again in his head, his eidetic memory preserving it after the first read through. “She’s got a younger sister, a cousin, a traditional family, and wants to go to Princeton.” The problem was, he didn’t make a note to know the relatives of the girls in his class. For all he knew, every girl in his class had a sister, and they definitely had cousins. Not to mention that traditional could mean a lot of things. Ino’s family had a lot of traditions surrounding going into the family business of flower arranging. But that didn’t mean it was her, right?

The thought made him shiver.

"Well if she wants to go to Princeton, I think we can probably eliminate anyone not on the Honor Roll? So that might narrow it down to like maybe ten out of twenty?" Naruto suggests hopefully.

“Maybe, but apparently her mother went to Princeton, so her grades aside, she could get in as a legacy.” With that clue, Sasuke could definitely oust another six from the list, but four were kind of in the gray area. And that still left ten who might pull it off on their own merit.

"Oh. Hmm. Yeah." Naruto shrugs. "The Legacy thing makes it harder. I always thought that was kinda stupid. Just because your relative went there doesn't mean you should have an unfair advantage."

Sasuke shrugs. “Money talks. I’d probably get accepted to Harvard on a legacy alone.” His father had gone there, which was why he’d been so insistent on Sasuke applying. Not that his grades wouldn’t have given him a fighting chance.

Naruto yawns. "Yeah. That and you're so prissy. Those bluebloods would let you in probably based just on that." He yawns again. "Damn, shouldn't have stayed up so late last night playing video games with Shikamaru."

Sasuke snorts. “And there’s another one who could get in on legacy in plenty of places.” The Naras were famous across most of the country for the way they had alumni from every major institution worth their time. “Or he could do it on his genius, if he gave half a damn.” Shikamaru was probably the only one who could rival Sasuke’s grades. The guy was just too lazy to bother with it.

"True, but somehow I doubt Shikamaru thinks about kissing you." Naruto laughs. "Anyway, I'm sure you'll figure it out and if not, she said she'd show herself at prom."

Sasuke wrinkles his nose at the thought of Shikamaru wanting to kiss him. Thankfully, the lazy genius already had a girlfriend. But it was still a disturbing thing to picture. “Well, I’m pretty sure that I’ll figure it out before the end of the month. It definitely won’t take until prom. You, maybe, but not me.” Sasuke smirks. “After all, I’m the genius, and you’re the idiot.”

Naruto places his hand over his heart as if he was mortally wounded. "That hurts." He flails dramatically. "That really hurts, bastard!" He pauses. "So what are you going to do when you find out who she is anyway?"

The raven blinks slowly. “Dunno. I mean, it’s an interesting game to play like Clue or Murder Mystery, but I’m not really all that interested in dating right now. So why should I do anything?”

"Well I mean the girl kinda deserves a yes or no, don't you think?" Naruto shrugs. "Seems like the decent thing to do."

“Then I guess it depends on whether or not she turns out to be psychotic after all.” Sasuke shoves the empty containers back into his bag. “If she’s nice, I’ll figure out how to let her down gently, and if she’s crazy…” Well, Naruto knew how hard Sasuke dropped the crazy ones.

Naruto laughs. "Yeah. Got it. Well come on Your Majesty, lunch is over and we've got to get to class."

Sasuke cuffs his friend over the head again as he stands up. “If I’m the king, you’re my court fool. Now shut up and walk.”

"So bossy!" Naruto whines and with that they head off. Unfortunately, they weren't watching where they were going. The blond collides straight into Ino and Sasuke knocks something soft over and loses his footing. A loud squeak is heard.

Hinata blinks as she looks up at Sasuke. He had run straight into her and knocked her over. That didn't bother her though. That sort of thing was fairly common in the rough and tumble hallways of Konoha High. What was less common was him falling on top of her in a position that had her blushing as red as any tomatoes.

Sasuke blinks at the improbable accident, before rolling slightly to the side and shifting his weight off the poor girl. “Are you alright?” Seriously, what were the chances that he’d be the one clumsy enough to end up falling over like that. These damn letters and the situation with Itachi had him way too distracted.

He gets to his feet and offers the girl his hand, noting her eyes. Right…the lavender eyes that the Hyuga were famous for. There was a girl in his class with that name, right? Uh…Hinata, wasn’t it? She was that quiet one that was too shy to ever say a word. “I didn’t mean to knock you over.”

She blushes more and nods her head furiously as she takes his hand. "I'm f-fine." He had ended up practically straddling her hips and his hands had been inches away from her breasts before he got off of her. "It was just an a-accident." Hinata hated her stutter. With a passion at the moment. "Are you okay?" She smiles at him shyly.

Ironically, she was pretty sure this was the first time Sasuke had actually touched her and they had attended K-12 together. It was probably better that it had been the aloof Uchiha who had collided against her. She likely would have fainted, if it was Naruto. Though now, at least half the female population of the school was probably going to be glaring at her for the rest of the day or giggling at her. Sasuke Uchiha had almost accidentally groped her!

“I’m fine.” He looks at her carefully, scrutinizing her now slightly disheveled appearance. “Though you might want to go to the office and make sure that you don’t have a bump on your head. You’re the one who hit the floor.”

"I'm more worried about other places, to be honest." She didn't want to mention that she was now pretty sure that there was going to be a dark bruise on her backside. That would just be humiliating. "It seems that this school is trying to k-kill me this year." She laughs. "First a dodge ball and now this. I should probably get a bubble or something..."

Right, Sasuke had forgotten that this was the girl he’d hit with the dodgeball. “That would probably be a good idea. You seem to be accident-prone.”

Next to them, Ino is gaping at the improbable situation. Was Hinata Hyuga actually talking to Sasuke Uchiha? A normal conversation!? This was…unprecedented! Only the guys could ever really talk to Sasuke, and Naruto was the only one who talked to him like…like he was a normal person. And Sasuke wasn’t trying to run her off like he did all the other girls.

You’d think, after he set fire to that pile of love letters in front of the school a couple of years back, and almost got arrested for arson, that they’d have gotten the message that he just wasn’t interested.

"Well...not really. I mean the first one was on p-purpose." She smiles as she tries to soothe out her skirt. "I took the hit for TenTen and this one, well you...f-forgive me, but you weren't watching where you were going. So that w-wasn't really my fault either." She really hoped that she hadn't given anyone a show with her skirt.

“Right…” Sasuke wasn’t entirely sure how to respond to that. “Anyway, you should still go to the office just in case.” He glances back over his shoulder at the gaping blonds. “Come on, idiot, we’ve got chemistry. And you are NOT setting fire to the lab this year.”

Hinata giggles at that. "I'm sure they have a fire extinguisher, but you're right." She quickly scurries off. Not realizing that Ino was right behind her.

"That was ONE time!" Naruto glares at Sasuke. "It hasn't happened for over a year." He grumbles as he follows Sasuke off to their next class, disappearing around the corner as the girls do the same in the opposite direction.

Once they’re out of sight, Ino takes the chance to pounce. “What was that!? You were talking to Sasuke like it was nothing!” Was this who she was writing the love letters to!? If so, there’s no way Sasuke would read them. He was famous for burning them, not sitting around reading sappy letters, poems, and romance novels. In her mind, all of these went together seamlessly, and in a pile entirely different to what Sasuke was into.

She blinks in confusion. "Well he bumped into me." Hinata tilts her head in confusion. "People usually apologize when that happens." She didn't understand what Ino was flipping out about. "Besides, you talked to him in the dodgeball game. It's not like he's mute..."

Ino scoffs. “Yeah, but I was trying to nail with him a dodgeball. You were actually talking to him, as in not trash-talking. He responds more to people challenging him. Not…well, girls who aren’t trying to nail him in the balls.”

Hinata winces. "Why are you trying to nail him in the balls, anyway?" She pauses. "I thought you liked him."

“Not for a long time.” Ino laughs and shakes her head. “Trust me, I’m way past Sasuke Uchiha. And it’s the best thing I ever did, because now, I can date whoever I feel like. Realizing it was very liberating! And I was trying to nail him there because last year, in our last game of the year, he kicked a soccer ball at me so hard that I fell back into the net with it! I have to get him back for that.”

"Oh." She blinks and winces again. "That does sound very painful. I'm not really sure how one gets over someone that easily, but I guess getting hit like that might make it easier." She smiles at her friend. "So we still on for Queens?"

Ino grins. “Definitely still on for Queens. I’m going to dress you up so pretty that no one will even recognize you at prom!”

That could have been interpreted as an insult. "That sounds good." Hinata smiles, but she decides not to take it that way. After all, one way of taking that was that Hinata normally wasn't pretty. Her friend meant well though. "How long do you think it will be until they stop glaring at me?"

“…I’d say give it a few days, maybe a week, and then they’ll forget all about it.” Well, unless Hinata really was writing love letters to Sasuke. Ino still had to get to the bottom of just who this mystery person was. “So, is it Sasuke? You do always seem to blush when he’s around.” She’d noticed it, but thought nothing of it, since Hinata was always so shy.

"S-Sasuke?!" She looks at her friend like she had grown another head. "I barely know him. Besides, everyone else is after him." She pauses. "And... I seem to get injured around him a lot. So it p-probably wouldn't be too healthy."

Ino frowns. Hinata has always been a bad liar, but there was no lie in sight. But if she always blushed when Sasuke was around… And there goes the lightbulb. “No way…Naruto!?” She tries to turn her squeal into a whisper. It had to be him. Hinata had described him as a casual person, approachable,and Naruto definitely fit that description. And he was always around Sasuke, which meant that Hinata always blushed when he was around too! Ino defied the dumb blond stereotype on a regular basis, and she wasn’t about to stop now.

Hinata gulps and squeaks. "W-What makes you think that it's h-him?!" Damn it. There was no way that she was going to be able to keep it a secret now!

Ino knew what that reaction meant. That was Hinata’s ‘Oh no, I’ve been caught, what do I do?’ reaction. “So…Naruto Uzumaki, huh? King of all that is blond and blue-eyed. I gotta say, you’ve picked a winner. A third of the school wants to date him, and not all of them are girls.” Another third, of course, would rather date Sasuke. The last third were straight guys, and people in relationships.

She blushes. "D-Don't tell him." Hinata blushes more. "It would ruin the secret admirer thought and I'd get nervous and I wouldn't know what to s-say." And she'd make a complete fool of herself.

“I won’t.” Ino wasn’t cruel, she just liked making mischief. “Besides, if he can’t figure it out by himself, I’m sure that Sasuke will see the letters and help him figure it out before prom. Just make sure that the next one tells him about you. Not things that’ll tell him who you are, but things that will help him get to know the real you, details that are close to your heart. That way, he won’t want to let you go.” It was the perfect plan.

What could possibly go wrong?


	4. Chapter 4

Early Wednesday morning, Sasuke lay on his bed, reading last week’s letter. If the pattern continued, there would be another letter waiting in his locker today. He could probably go to school early and catch the culprit in the act, but…that wouldn’t be nearly as interesting as figuring it out using his brain.

Which is why this letter both frustrated and amused him. It had no clues for him, but it spoke to him, just like the other letters did. He just didn’t know who wrote it. And every time he read one of them, he wanted more and more to find out just who wrote it. But no, he could be patient, he liked playing this game.

 

_I was speaking to my friend the other day. I finally told her how I felt about you. Well more accurately, she guessed. She brought up a really good point. One that has been on my mind for awhile._

_There are so many people that like you. That's why she's determined to find me the perfect dress for prom. I want you to like it, but I don't think she understands it's not just about the dress. It's about who is wearing it._

_You've never really struck me as someone that cares that much about clothes. Your style hasn't changed that much since Freshmen Year. I think you're more interested in sports. Which is fine with me. I love watching you run around. It's shallow and I know that, but you have the cutest butt._

 

Sasuke chuckles at the contents, still getting a kick out of how innocent a letter it was. Seriously, the girl couldn’t even write the word ass? It made him wonder just what was going to be in the next letter. A clue? Or a conversation? At least she wasn’t as shallow as the other girls. At least, from what he could tell. She could be making it all up, but there was a bit too much effort being put in for it to just be that.

"Hey, Sassy, what are you laughing at?" Suigetsu ambles over to him. This had to be good, if Sasuke of all people was laughing. The white haired boy's brother, Kisame, had given Sasuke the nickname, when the younger Uchiha had let loose a barrage of profanities at him for stealing his tomato soup when they were in middle school.

Sasuke’s eye twitches as he watches his friend walk into his bedroom. “What are you doing here, Suigetsu? Does Kisame finally have the guts to try and bang my brother?” It was a running joke that Kisame and Itachi were way too close to just be friends. So either something was going on, or the two of them were deliberately messing with their younger siblings. Knowing them, it could be either.

"Well I don't know." He smirks. "Good to know you view your brother as the Princess in that relationship though." Suigetsu could never resist a good dirty joke. "I seriously think they're gay though. Kinda a Beauty and the Beast thing. Obviously, Kisame is the beauty." And somehow Suigetsu managed to say that with a straight face. It took talent to pull that off.

Sasuke cringes. “If your brother is the beauty, then what does that make you?” Yeah, them actually being gay and screwing over in Itachi’s room wasn’t something that Sasuke actually wanted to picture. Not that he had anything against it, he just…didn’t want to picture his older brother in such situations.

"Well obviously, I’m the handsome badass prince that slays the dragons and gets the girl." He smirks. "That should be obvious. Anyway, do you mind if I copy your biology notes. I had to miss class yesterday. Swim team stuff."

Of course Suigetsu missed biology for the swim team. If Sasuke had a dollar for every time that happened… “If you’re the prince, then I think I’d rather be the dragon that gets to squish you.” He pulls his biology notes out of his bag, tossing them to Suigetsu. And hurry up, unless your brother is driving us, I leave in fifteen minutes.”

"Pft. As if you could squish me." He takes out his cell phone and snaps a few pictures of the notes. "And done." He grins. "You should have seen the races. It was pretty awesome."

Sasuke tosses the notes back into his bag. “You know that I’m trying to keep my grades perfect.” This year, and every other year. Not that it was possible to beat his brother, who’d even done extra credit just to push the extra mile. “Even if I hate our teacher, I’m not going to skip his class without a good reason.”

"Yeah. I know." He smirks. "Your halo sparkles, but damn. There's this one chick who is REALLY good at the breaststroke. Which is impressive considering well…that's a lot of cleavage to stroke, if you know what I mean." He beams. "People really underestimate how awesome it is to be on the swim team. Girls and guys compete separately, but at the same meets." He sighs. "Too bad her halo sparkles even more than yours."

“I don’t have a halo, dumbass.” Sasuke was far from an angel, but he just didn’t feel like giving his father a reason to compare him to Itachi, again, and find him inferior, again. It got really old, really fast. And both he and Itachi were getting sick of it. “And if you’re so interested in the breaststroke, then go and find Karin. I’m sure she’ll let you teach her if you stop acting like a moron.”

"Oh come on!" He grumbles. "I don't like the banshee. And yes you do. Well at least when it comes to school stuff." He stretches. "Must get exhausting having to be perfect all the time."

Sasuke shoots him a glare as he folds up the letter and puts it away. “Are you asking me to throw a textbook at your head? Or did I just hear you wrong?” He wasn’t perfect, he knew that. If he was, life would be so much easier.

"Whatever. So who you going to ask to Prom?" He looks at him. "I don't want to poach whoever it is. I mean even you have to go. It's tradition."

Sasuke smacks his forehead. “That’s months away! I don’t have to worry about that until next semester at the earliest. And that’s if I bother going at all.” Seriously, he didn’t see the point of prom. Though Naruto would probably try to drag him there anyway.

"You know that your mother and brother are going to make you go." Suigetsu shrugs. "I mean there has to be someone you like."

“Do you not see the letters I burn on a weekly basis?” Seriously, the numbers were getting ridiculous, and some girls just never knew when to give up! Sasuke just wasn’t interested.

"No, Sassy. I didn't mean that there was someone who liked you." He shrugs. "Despite the fact that you're an antisocial bastard, you have a lot of girls throwing themselves at you. I mean who do YOU like?"

Cue another eye roll. “I’m not interested in getting a girlfriend. The closest thing I have to an intimate relationship with a girl is the one I have with Ino and Tenten when we’re half trying to kill each other. And I’ve usually got Naruto with me.” He’d probably have more luck this time next year with the Navy and Air Force cadets. Apparently those sections had plenty of attractive and intelligent women. At least, so he’d heard.

"Alright. Just making sure. Cause we all know that the girls like you, but they love me." He pats him on the back. "So where you going?"

“School, idiot. Five minutes until I leave.” Sasuke was pretty sure he’d made that clear earlier. Then again, Suigetsu had the attention span of a goldfish. Which made a lot of sense, seeing as Suigetsu’s older brother had the complexion of a shark. And those teeth? How did one family end up with three sons with such sharp teeth when one of them is adopted?

"Oh right." Suigetsu sighs at the mention of the bane of his existence. "Prison. Guess we should get going then."

Just like clockwork, Itachi pokes his head inside Sasuke’s room. "You two ready?"

“Of course.” Sasuke zips up his bag and slings it over his shoulder. “As long as I start walking in the next five minutes, I should make it with enough time to get to class and clock Naruto a couple of times for whatever stupid shit comes out of his mouth today.” Before class, of course. No need to cause a brawl after the bell rings.

"I'm so glad that you've learned the value of time management." His elder brother chuckles as they head off for school.

Time management, his ass, Sasuke just liked being able to get the smacks in before a teacher could nail him for detention. It was a perfect system.

* * *

 

Meanwhile, Hinata had checked the hole behind the fountain. Hmm. No luck so far, but she really hadn't been that specific yet. How was Naruto supposed to know she wanted to go to Princeton, really? "Alright. Well...onto the letter." She quickly heads off and slips the letter through the locker she still thought belonged to Naruto's, before darting off.

Sasuke turns the corner, heading for his locker with Suigetsu on his heels, having made it early, since between the swimmer’s energy and meeting Naruto on the way, he’d gotten dragged along faster than he usually would have walked.

Oh well, time to check for the…ah ha! There it is.

He reaches into his locker, ignoring the letters leftover from yesterday and finding the golden envelope with the silver writing. Opening up this letter with the same care as the others, he slides out a much shorter note than before, but no less meaningful.

 

**_It's been a very long week. My feet are exhausted between the shopping and swimming. Your second clue is that I like swimming and you should look really far back into your locker. I left a surprise for you._ **

**_It was really hard to fit through the locker slits, but I managed. Maybe, we can go skinny dipping later. If...things work out. I'll write more next week._ **

 

Once he examines his locker more closely, he saw a flash of lavender. Something silky. That silky material turned out to be a lavender swimsuit. More specifically, a bikini. Probably hers, if the note was any indication.

Well, if nothing else, that was rather…bold. Sasuke’s cheeks actually flush slightly. The girl who’d written him such a nice letter last week, seemed so shy when writing, had put her swimsuit in his locker. That move was actually new, surprisingly enough. No girl had actually stooped or risen to putting a swimsuit or lingerie in his locker before. That must have taken some rather talented fingers.

Naruto blinks. "Um something you wanna tell us, Sasuke?" Had his best friend become a crossdresser? "I mean it's really pretty and everything, but lavender really isn't your color and well...bikinis are more of a girl thing."

Suigetsu cracks up at Naruto’s assumption, and at Sasuke’s flushed face. "You're such an idiot." He laughs. "Looks like one of Sassy's admirers got decided to turn things up a notch or ten."

Sasuke just passes the new letter to Naruto, as he’s done with the last three. “No kidding…” He wasn’t sure whether to be frightened or aroused by the gesture. So, he settles on a bit of both. It was just so new that he didn’t know how to make heads or tails of it. Girls were so weird sometimes.

Naruto blinks. "Well...she did say she's liked you for years. So it's not really out of the blue for HER." He blinks as he looks at the suit again. "It is a nice suit though. I mean, it's not like she sent you a naked picture or anything." He sighs and covers Suigetsu's mouth preemptively, since he knew from hanging around Sasuke’s friend, that he would jump on a comment like that. "And shut up, Suigetsu. This is serious."

Sasuke just stands there, kind of stunned as he looks at the bikini. And it’s not like he hadn’t seen swimsuits before, so it wasn’t hard to figure out that this girl was…well endowed, to put it lightly. It eliminated several more girls from the pool of possibilities, cutting it about in half. “Well, there’s only seven people this could be.” He’d just have to wait for the next clue to pop up before making an actual guess. He needed a bit more than vague mentions of family, a dream, cup size, and the fact that they’ve been in school together a while.

Thankfully, this newest clue tossed Sakura, Ino, and Tenten out of the running. He would have been rather terrified if it had turned out to be any of them.

"How the fuck did you get it down to seven? There are like two hundred girls in our year and I mean probably only a third could pull that swimsuit off, but still." Suigetsu just looks at him in amazement.

Sasuke glances at his friend, stuffing the bikini back into his locker and closing it up. “Simple. She’s known me since grade school, was in my chemistry class last year, knows about how WWIII almost happened in gym, has a sister, cousin, and traditional family, whatever she means by that, wants to go to Princeton, and apparently wears that particular bikini. There’s only seven girls in our grade who could possibly match most of that criteria.” Though the Princeton one was rather vague, and who knows who had applied to go there?

Suigetsu blinks. "You mean there's a girl who can fit into that AND wants to go to Princeton?" He blinks again. "You lucky son of a bitch. Well..." He pauses. "You know what I mean. Your mom is actually nice and makes these amazing cookies." He nods his head thoughtfully.

“Suigetsu, stop talking before your foot moves down to your stomach.” It was too late for Sasuke to tell him not to put his foot in his mouth, something he did on an almost daily basis. Luckily, Sasuke was used to it, and didn’t pay the accidental insult to his mother much mind. He could get Suigetsu back for it later, anyway.

"Well whoever bikini chick is, she's obviously way too nice for you." He crosses his arms and sulks. Thankfully, he shuts up though.

"Alright. So we're probably getting closer." Naruto grins.

“I guess.” And if Sasuke’s instincts were right, which right now they might not, considering how fuzzy his head felt, then he should get another letter without a clue next week, and then another clue the week after that. Or maybe last week was special? He didn’t know.

* * *

 

Elsewhere, Hinata was blushing madly in the girls' bathroom with Ino, her hands shaking nervously. "I might have gone a bit too far." Maybe, the skinny dipping crack and bikini had been a little reckless, but she way trying to go for impact!

Ino pats Hinata on the back,proud, but confused at the same time. “Well, at least you’re doing something. What did you put in the letter this time?” It couldn’t be that bad, after all Hinata blushed over the tiniest things, so she was probably overreacting.

"I um..." She blushes. "You remember that bikini you got me for my birthday awhile back?" Hinata pauses. "That and a note." Her face burns hotter. "I m-might have mentioned the possibility of skinny dipping."

Ino consciously keeps her jaw from dropping. Not overreacting then… Still, her eyes widen at the admission. “You left your bikini in his locker and suggested that the two of you go skinny dipping?” Sort of a mixed message, but still, there’s no mistaking that it was a very bold move, especially for Hinata. “Well, I guess that’s one way to make an impression. I doubt that he’ll forget about something like that.”

She blushes. "Well you said that I should be bold and that he already has a lot of admirers." Hinata looks at her feet.

“And you definitely went above and beyond what I was expecting, good job!” Ino knew that no guy, no straight guy anyway, would be able to just pass off a skinny dipping invitation. Especially not if they took the time to look at the size of the bikini. Hinata was not a woman without assets.

"He hasn't made any guesses yet. So I don't know, if he's even reading the letters. He'll definitely notice the swimsuit though." She sighs. "I mean, that should get him to read them. If he isn't already."

“Well, there’s a lot of girls in our school, and he might not know the answers to all of the clues, so maybe he’s just trying to do a process of elimination.” It’s what Ino would do, if she had clues that maybe she didn’t understand. “Maybe he’ll get it on the next hint. Besides, there’s still months until prom, so he’ll probably figure it out with plenty of time to spare. Though he’d better not take too long, or I’m going to nail him in the head with a soccer ball and maybe that’ll help him figure it out.”

Hinata blinks. "I guess that's true." She looks at her a little concerned. "You've gotten kinda violent lately."

“I blame Sasuke, Naruto, and gym class.” Seriously, she was not going to let this go until she’d gotten Sasuke back for throwing all of those balls at her, not to mention Naruto, who helped him. Because damn it, they hurt. “Besides, I’m competitive, and cheerleading season has started. I need to work off my frustration somehow.” The squads fro the other schools just made her so mad sometimes!

"Take it easy on Naruto and don't kill Sasuke." She blushes. "I love Naruto and Sasuke is Naruto's best friend." Hinata pauses. "He'd be really upset, if Sasuke died."

“Fine…” She wouldn’t kill him, but she was at least going to give Sasuke some bruised ribs. He’d done it to her last year. “So, what are you going to write in the next letter?”

Hinata bites her lower lip uncertainly. "Maybe, I should apologize if I offended him?"

Ino snorts with laughter. “There’s no way you offended him. If anything, you probably made the poor guy pop a boner in the middle of the hallway.” Now that would have been quite the sight to see. And a perfect opportunity for getting blackmail material.

"INO!" Hinata looked positively scandalized about her friend's language. "I doubt he d-did that."

Ino revels in the furious blush painted all over Hinata’s face. “Oh, I wouldn’t be surprised if he did. Guys like stuff like that. And besides, think of that as a good thing. If you can get him to like both your body and your mind, you’re all set!”

"Well...maybe." She tries to stop blushing, but she knew it was a futile effort. "Maybe, a passage from my favorite book, next time?" After all, she had just said her body and her mind.

Nodding, Ino smiles widely. “Perfect. It’s not quite a clue, but it’ll help him to get into your head, see what makes you tick. You might even have find something that you guys have in common. A passage from a book could be construed as very romantic.” Of course, Naruto didn’t really strike her as the most romantic type, but maybe he had a secret side to him that really liked it. It couldn’t hurt for Hinata to try.

"Maybe. That and I don't want him to think that it's just..." Hinata trails off, before continuing. "You know, only a physical attraction. I mean...that's part of it, but not all of it." Now, she just felt lame. Great. She sounded like such a sap.

Seeing the hesitation in Hinata’s plan, Ino puts both her hands on Hinata’s shoulders. “No, don’t think negatively. You have every right to be loved for your personality, having as nice a body as you do is just a bonus. Though…it would be nice if you’d dress it up a little more. Some accessories…a little makeup to make your eyes pop, not too much, though, just little accents here and there. They make a world of difference, so remember that.” Ino gets a devilish grin on her face. “Maybe next time, we should take a trip to this jewelry store in Manhattan that I really like, I’m sure that we could find something that suits you there.”

Hinata doubted that it was just going to be dressing up just a little and a little makeup. "Well maybe, we can see what they have." Ino wasn't exactly a subtle person. "I guess it can't hurt to try." She smiles shyly.

“Good!” Ino was getting excited, imagining everything that she could put Hinata in. “Maybe now that you’re trying to make a move on him, you’ll stop wearing so many jackets and pants that hide how pretty you are. We’ll build up your confidence, stick you in something nice, and then, you’ll be turning heads left and right instead of being such a wallflower. Okay?” Because she really didn’t want to see Hinata wilt on the vine. No, she deserved to be watered, pruned, and preserved forever.

She nods. "Yes. We'll try that." She had been a wallflower for at least twelve years now. It hadn't really worked for her. "This is kinda my last chance to get his attention." Well, her last year, but it was really the same thing.

“And get his attention, you will.” Ino would make sure of it. “Just make sure to hide any clothes we buy from your dad. There’s no way he’d approve of his daughter wearing anything that could grab a boy’s attention.” Honestly, the Hyuga patriarch was so conservative that Ino was sure she wouldn’t last a week with them herself, let alone almost eighteen years.

Hinata laughs. "Yeah. That's true." She rubs the back of her head sheepishly. "He'd freak out if he knew you gave me the swimsuit." Conservative would be a more flattering way of describing her father when it came to his expectations regarding clothes, manners, and general behavior in his household.

Ino cringes at the implication. “Yeah…how about we continue not telling him about that. I’d really rather not have the wrath of the Hyuga coming after me. You and Neji and Hanabi make sense, you’re…sort of normal. Your dad though…he scares me.”

She nods in understand. "It's alright. I completely understand." Hinata smiles. "Well at least now we have a plan."

And what a plan it was. Naruto wasn’t going to know what hit him. At least, THAT was the plan.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Celestia193's Author's Note: A couple of chapters ago, I invoked Murphy's Law. ...Well, Murphy's Law says hello.

Sasuke was doing something very un-Sasuke-like at the moment. Or rather, he felt like doing it, but was holding himself back because it would just be wrong to do something like that in public. He felt like smiling and skipping like a freaking kid. He hadn’t felt this eager to see a stack of love letters in his locker since…well, no he’d never felt like this.

But it’s not the stack he’s after, it’s the one that lands on top of the stack just before he gets to his locker that he’s interested in. The one written by the shy girl with sweet, innocent, and very big dreams, who somehow turns into a siren when she wants attention. Only a handful of candidates remain in his pool of consideration, and damn it if he isn’t going to find out before Halloween.

With a wicked smirk on his face, he strides down the hallway with Naruto in tow. “Hurry up idiot, quit dragging your feet.”

Naruto laughs. "Damn. Never seen you this perky." He says as he bounds over to his friend. "Alright. Let's see what she left today."

Sasuke spins open the lock on his locker, casually flinging the unwanted envelopes to the floor in his excitement, eyes searching sharply for the gold letter. It took him a very impatient ten seconds to find it. “I wonder how close this little game is to ending.”

This time there was a letter and a few pages out of what seemed to be some kind of book. The letter explained their purpose.

 

**_I thought that I should start sharing more personal information about me. So I included a passage from my favorite book. I hope you like it. I know not everyone is as into fantasy, but I fantasize about being with you...so I though it fit well._ **

 

The passage turned out to be from a fantasy book. Something involving an elven princess, and an elven prince from a rival kingdom during the middle of a cold war. And while the pages she included didn't flat out state it, it was obvious that in the next few pages that they made love on the throne room floor.

Sasuke’s cheeks burn a little, and he snaps the letter closed in a hurry, stuffing it back into the envelope, and then into his backpack. There was no fucking way that he was going to read that at school where anyone could be looking over his shoulder.

Damn it, this was obviously not from a book part of his own collection, but he did rather enjoy reading about elves… Yeah, it was best to save it for later.

"You alright?" Naruto blinks. "You're pretty red." He tilts his head. "She didn't send you a naked picture this time, did she?"

“No, she didn’t.” Sasuke takes a deep breath, eyes flicking around to make sure that no one was staring. “She’s just very forward is all.” And here he thought that she was shy at first. Maybe she was just gaining confidence, that would explain it. It was…kind of dizzying, actually, and made his stomach feel weird. “I’ll probably have a good idea who sent it after I read it.”

"Probably just trying to get your attention." Naruto smiles. "You haven't made any guesses yet, have you? She might think you're not reading them."

Oh, Sasuke was reading them, alright, he’d read each letter at least a hundred times by now. Twice a day, each. Even during Naruto’s birthday over the weekend. “Well, I’ll probably have it right before the end of the month. I just want to only guess once.” After all, there was something to be said for accuracy. And his pride would allow nothing less.

"Alright." He heads off to class with him. "Well you've narrowed it down a lot, right?"

Sasuke nods. “I’ve got a few less suspects now. I mean, she’s gently playing up the whole princess thing, so it could have something to do with her actual life, or just her personality. She might not even realize she’s doing it.” Anyway, there was the the contents of that letter to read thoroughly. “I’ll have it figured out by Halloween, guaranteed.”

"You don't think it's Ino, right? I mean she's a bit of a diva." Naruto rubs his chin thoughtfully. "She might pull that whole princess vibe thing. Wait. Does Ino have a sister?"

“I don’t know for sure, but the bikini isn’t hers. She’s a smaller size than that.” And Sasuke would know, considering how many times he’s aimed a ball there. There was this one spot on her chest, where if he could catch her there, she had a hard time blocking or dodging, or even catching it. “She didn’t exactly hide it whenever our class went swimming for gym.”

"Yeah. That's a good point. Well we can definitely eliminate Sakura and Karin then." If Ino wasn't the right shape, then they weren't either.

“Don’t forget Tenten.” She was way too flat to fill out that swimsuit. Sasuke shakes his head. “Anyway, I’ll look into it later, so let’s just get to our seats before you earn us detention.” Like that had never happened before…

Naruto puts his hands behind his head and grins. "Yeah, yeah, fine." Sasuke’s ‘non-existent love life’ was getting more interesting by the second. And Naruto was happy to watch the fireworks around his usually much less flappable friend.

* * *

 

After losing Suigetsu when his goldfish-brained friend followed him home after school, Sasuke shuts himself in his room to read the pages slipped into this week’s letter. Unlike the shy vibe from the first few letters, these pages were…well, descriptive enough that he definitely got the idea. Apparently, this secret admirer was fond or erotic literature, specifically, in the realm of epic fantasy.

He turns to the last page, shifting uncomfortably on his bed. “She’s either crazy and bi-polar, or shy in public and not so much in private.”

"Who is potentially crazy, bipolar, or different in private?" Itachi looks at Sasuke in amusement as he leans against his wall. "A looked door isn't going to actually stop me. I'd never make it into the FBI, if that was the case." He smiles.

Sasuke’s eye twitches. “One of these days, I hope you learn what the word boundaries means.” This was far from the first time that Itachi had waltzed into his room, and probably wasn’t going to be the last. After all, he still had about nine months before Sasuke left, and he was probably going to make the most of that.

He pokes his forehead. "Foolish little brother, that's what being family means." Itachi smiles. "We show that we love each other by driving each other crazy. Now, what were you so....perky about?"

Well, that definitely explained Suigetsu and Naruto, they were basically extra brothers. Still, Sasuke rubs his forehead. “You’ve really got to stop doing that, I’m not a kid anymore.” He glances back down at the letter. “I got the sixth letter today.”

Itachi nods. "Well I have to say this much for the woman." He chuckles. "She's very punctual."

“Yeah…” Sasuke’s eyes drift back down to the letter. “She also came off as shy at first, but then she sent me two erotic letters in a row after four normal ones. I’m not sure if it’s because she’s getting more confident, but it’s a bit disorienting.”

"Well didn't she initially claim that she had liked you for a long time." Itachi shrugs. "It may be impulsive to you, but for her...she's been waiting to capture your attention for years. Obviously, whatever else she was doing before the letters wasn't working. Besides," Itachi pauses. "Most people are more bold when their name isn't attached to something."

“True.” But the princess thing was starting to get to him. It felt like someone who didn’t stand out, but had a lot of big dreams anyway, whether in fantasy or reality. And unlike him, she wasn’t afraid to voice those dreams. “Still, I’m not planning on getting a girlfriend. Not right now, at least…” And especially not the fangirls who still shoved mountains of letters in his locker. Was it too much to ask for a normal girl? He glance back down at the letter. Maybe the universe was finally showing him one.

"Well that's fine." Itachi smiles. "Generally, it happens when you least expect it. If you really have no interest though, try to let her down gently." He shrugs. "After this much effort, I think it'd be rather cruel not to give her an answer, even if it's not the one she wants. At least then, she can move on."

“Yeah…” He was planning to let her down gently. “Better that I turn her down soon, maybe she’ll have another crush in time for prom.” Still, he rather liked the letters. They were so different to the usual ones, they were the only ones he actually looked forward to on Wednesdays.

"True enough. Do you have any guesses?" Itachi looks at him curiously. "She's given you a few letters now. Surely, you must have eliminated at least some people." Honestly, his foolish little brother needed something in his life that wasn't just something he was doing to please their father. "Your class is only so big." West Point was a start, but that wouldn't make him happy indefinitely.

Sasuke closes his eyes, going over the whole list in his head. “She was in my chemistry class last year, and in my gym class this year, and known me since grade school, it seems. That narrows it down from two hundred to about twenty in one shot. She’s got a sister, a cousin, and a traditional family. But I don’t know a whole lot about everyone’s families, so that doesn’t really help much. She wants to go to Princeton, so either she’s a legacy or honor roll, that cuts it down to just over a dozen possibilities. After that…” His cheeks heat a little. “She stuffed a swimsuit in my locker, and only half the girls on the list could possibly fit into it.”

Itachi chuckles at that last part. "I see. Well it seems like that should all be rather useful information in making an educated guess."

“Yeah, plus…” He flicks the letter closed. “She gives off a dreamy vibe, like a fairy tale princess feel, but she can go from painfully shy to a siren seemingly out of nowhere. But if it’s because she’s doing it anonymously, then it probably means that she’s too shy to say anything in public.”

Too shy to say anything in public.

Sasuke sits up almost fast enough to give himself vertigo. “Wait a minute…” No way, it couldn’t be, there’s no way a girl like that would write these kinds of letters. And there is no way that she’d be bold enough to put erotic content into his locker.

Right?

"Well obviously she's fairly shy. Otherwise," Itachi smiles. "She would have just told you to your face instead of going to such elaborate lengths to get your attention." He blinks at Sasuke's sudden shocked look. "Sasuke, are you alright?"

A traditional family, well, no one was more traditional than them, even his own father didn’t compare to that level of strict. And she had a little sister, right? Hanabi? And her cousin was…Neji, a year above them, friends with Lee and Tenten. She could definitely fill out the bathing suit, if knocking her over had been any indication. She was so shy that she stuttered a lot, but…not around him for some reason. She definitely had the princess feel to her, and he wouldn’t be surprised if her mother had gone to Princeton, after all, money talks. She fit all of the criteria. “…Hinata…?” No way, it couldn’t be, but…

Itachi raises an eyebrow. "Hinata?" He looks at him in confusion. "What about Hiashi's daughter?" Oh boy. This wasn't going where he thought it was going was it. "You think...Hinata is the one who sent you all the letters?"

“She fits all of the criteria, as far as I can tell.” And Sasuke had to admit that the bathing suit was definitely her color. “But would a Hyuga really send me erotic literature and say that she wants to go skinny dipping?” It seemed a little on the improbable side.

"Well...they do like to present a prim and proper image." Itachi pauses because he didn't know how to say this tactfully. "But they are also a very large family." Maybe, he should just be blunt. "Obviously, to at least some degree...they must be less prim and proper behind closed doors. That or maybe, she's just secretly the black sheep of the family."

Only one way to find out… “Hey Itachi, next week, I’ll be leaving early for school, alright?” That should work, if he could catch her in the act, he could be sure about the answer without guessing wrong. He really didn’t want to guess and have it turn out to be wrong.

"Alright." He glances at him warily. "Do let her down gently, especially if you're right." He pauses. " That is not a family that you want to spite."

“No…her family aside…” Sasuke pictures the girl that had taken a dodgeball for her friend, one that definitely left her with a bruise, and then who he’d knocked right over in the hall, like some kind of weird karma. “She doesn’t deserve to get hurt…especially by me.”

"Good. Well, I guess it's better to deal with it now than to lead the poor girl on." Itachi nods approvingly at his choice. "Good luck, Sasuke."

Right, luck, he was probably going to need a fair bit of that. Still… “It kind of feels like a cruel joke, though.” The timing was absolute shit, really.

"Why does it feel like a cruel joke?” Itachi looks at him in confusion. "I don't see anything particularly amusing about the situation."

No, Itachi probably wouldn’t, but Sasuke sure did. “If I’d gotten these few sane letters while I was still open to dating, I probably wouldn’t be so soured on it now. Ever since puberty, I’ve been dealing with crazy girls who don’t know when to quit, and when a sane one finally shows up, it’s in senior year. She’s…different to the others. She puts effort into the letters, and despite her shyness, she’s trying to be bold about what she wants.”

He raises an eyebrow. "For someone who claims that they don't want a girlfriend, you sound...frustrated that you ‘can't’ have one." His little brother was the very definition of cognitive dissonance. "If you like her, you should go for it." He shrugs. "If it's meant to be, I’m sure that it can survive you two going to university. Besides, West Point is in New York. Princeton is in New Jersey, they are neighboring states." Maybe, his foolish little brother could benefit from a geography lesson.

“So, what, you think that she’d take weekend trips to the academy just to see me?” He’d be living in the dorms, after all, and Sasuke had plans to finish his schooling as quickly as possible, so he’d be so engrossed in his studies that he wouldn’t get off the campus much.

"Sasuke, the girl has waited years for you to notice her and still carries this much affection for you." He chuckles. "She'd probably cross an ocean to see you, let alone a short plane ride or a long drive." Itachi nods. "I'm sure she'd visit you on the weekends."

“Hm…” It did sound kind of promising, the way that Itachi put it. “…I’ll think about it until Wednesday morning. After all, there’s still a chance it’s not her. Once I catch her in the act, I should know for sure what I’m going to say.” After all, what he did know about Hinata was that she was gracious, kind, polite, and intelligent enough to pull honor roll grades. Not to mention that she was definitely attractive. Yes, he’d wait until Wednesday to give an answer.

* * *

 

The following Wednesday rolled around. Hinata checks to see if there was a guess by the water fountain. "Still nothing." She sighs. A bit disappointed, but still determined...she heads off to ‘Naruto's locker’.

As promised, Sasuke had made it to school early enough that most students wouldn’t be around yet. But the doors had only just opened, so this was the best time to either catch the secret admirer in the act, or stake out the place and wait.

Upon climbing up to the third floor, he spots a lone figure in the hallway, right in front of his locker. Bullseye. Yesterday, he’d left the stack of letters in his locker, ready to confront the perpetrator with them. But, staying quiet, he approaches the locker slowly, so as not to scare her off.

Hinata's back was towards him. She smiles and slowly slides the letter into the slot. "That should do it." The bluenette was completely unsuspecting. After all, Naruto generally didn't show up for another half hour or at the earliest fifteen minutes from now.

“So, you’re the one who’s been delivering the letters after all.” Sasuke smirks behind her, having successfully crept up on her. “You write pretty well, though the sudden change from shy and demure to exciting and racy was a bit unexpected, Hinata.” So it was her, after all. Maybe there was some merit to Itachi’s argument after all.

She squeaks. "S-Sasuke?" Hinata looks like a deer caught in the headlights or like a cute little bunny that had been cornered by a hawk. "D-Did Naruto show them to you or s-something?" Her face burns with embarrassment.

It was one thing to give the racy letters to Naruto, but for Sasuke to see them was a bit humiliating. Not that she had a problem with Sasuke, it was just that she didn't want other people to see that side of herself. "Oh God!" She fidgets. "W-Well I guess it was only to be expected. You are his b-best friend and you're smart. So he'd probably want your h-help figuring it out." She suddenly finds her feet very interesting.

Something seems very off to Sasuke about all of this. So, he reaches past Hinata and spins the combination into the lock, opening the locker and putting his bag inside, reaching for the stack of letters. “Why would Naruto show me something you’ve been slipping into my locker? The last time he broke into my locker, he got a face full of paint.” He’d booby-trapped it, because Naruto had a bad habit of memorizing not math equations but Sasuke’s locker combination.

She blinks and cups her mouth in shock. "T-This is your locker?" Oh God, she was going to die of humiliation. "Oh God! Sasuke, I'm so sorry. I t-thought that this was Naruto's locker." She looks down, meekly. "You must hate me. I got your lockers mixed up. I mean...it's easy to see why you would think they were for you."

She starts babbling in a rush, trying to pick up the pieces. "They were in your locker. I never a-actually used his name and you must get so many similar letters." Hinata blushes crimson. "I'm really, really sorry."

As the words sunk in, something in Sasuke deflated, before cracking, and shattering. Not something big, not even small, it was just a tiny shard, maybe just a glimmer of something. Put out in an instant. Not that he let it show on his face. “Well, that explains a lot, after all, you never did stutter around me the way you did Naruto.” He should have seen it earlier, really. Naruto was the one she avoided like crazy, and if she was this shy, it would explain why. “Naruto and I switched lockers, because I was tired of all the love letters. I guess it’s lucky for you that they were too nice looking to throw out. I usually burn them by the stack, so I have to give you props for presentation.”

"T-Thank you." She bites her lower lip nervously. "I really am sorry. I d-didn’t intentionally kinda lead you on. N-not that I even know that you were interested. I'm..." She blushes more. "going to shut up now..."

Sasuke forces a smile onto his face quickly, hoping that it’s a sympathetic one. He was never really the best at that, though. “It’s fine, I figured it out last week through the clues, and was trying to figure out how to let you down gently.”

Hinata winces, but hides it pretty quickly. "Oh well. I g-guess that's not surprising. I'm n-not exactly the type of girl you probably like anyway." She looks at him apologetically.

Sasuke takes a deep breath and leans against the lockers. “I’m not really interested into getting into a relationship, actually. So my type is irrelevant.” He keeps the smile up, despite everything. “Naruto will adore you, though. He tries to hide it sometimes, but he’s got a weakness for cute things.” Then, he reaches into his locker, pulling out the bathing suit next. “And if it’s any consolation, he likes the bathing suit.”

She blushes scarlet. "Y-You showed him the bathing suit." Hinata sighs. "You must think that I’m...that I'm desperate." The Hyuga woman bites her lower lip. "I just f-figured that it was likely he was getting a lot of letters, like you do. So I just wanted to get his attention. Thank y-you. For being so understanding." Hinata actually manages to pluck up the courage to hug him brightly. "I can see why he thinks so highly of you. Though I think this is a s-sign. I should probably just try a more direct approach." She pauses. "You really think he'd like me though?"

“I think so. And you’re not desperate, you’re patient, after all, you’ve been in the same class as us since kindergarten. I’d say it’s about time you finally made a move on the oblivious idiot.” Sasuke lets out a wry laugh. “But yeah, he’s not all that good at reading between the lines and figuring clues out, so the direct approach would probably work better with him.” Every word ached, but Naruto was his best friend, and Hinata made an honest mistake. Punishing them for it would be wrong.

"He's not an idiot." Hinata defends Naruto. "He just... well sometimes he's more perceptive about other people than himself." She blushes. "Thank you though. It means a lot to me and if you could...make sure my father NEVER finds out about the bikini or my taste in literature, I'd g-greatly appreciate that. He would ground me until I'm old enough to qualify for a Senior Citizen D-Discount."

Now that kind of thing, Sasuke could definitely understand. “I won’t tell him. I know what it’s like to have a strict father. I wouldn’t wish their wrath on anyone.”

She laughs and nods. "Yeah. I think they might have been classmates. Well my father would have been a graduate student though. He's a little older than yours, I think." Hinata blushes. "My father makes me read things like business magazines and your father is kinda famous."

“Famous for being a hardass who has the perfect business and perfect family.” Perfect…except for him. Sasuke was his disappointment, no matter how hard he tried.

"Well I was going to say for being a financial genius, but..." She trails off. "I know that Japanese businessmen aren't always the warmest fathers. It's an awful stereotype, but there is a kernel of truth to it."

“Yeah.” Sasuke knows that there’s still several minutes before Naruto is due to arrive. “So, you want to go to Princeton, huh? That’s convenient, seeing as Naruto is planning on going to the police academy here. You’ll be able to see each other on weekends.”

"Hopefully." She smiles. "Like I said, my mother went. I have the advantage of having a legacy. Which isn't really fair, but...you can't opt out of it. Still it's very competitive."

“Yeah, I know, my father wants me to go to Harvard because that’s where he went.” Not that Sasuke was planning on going at all. “I’d probably get in easily, between a legacy and my grades.”

"Harvard is a very good school." She nods. "Well, you were smart enough to figure out it was me and we haven't talked much, so I don't think academic ability should be a problem. Y-You've always done very well on tests and things like that."

“I’m not going to Harvard.” Sasuke wasn’t sure why he said it, it just kind of came out.

She tilts her head and smiles slyly. "You're feeling rebellious and want to go to Yale instead?"

“West Point.” Sasuke could hear footsteps starting to come down the hall. Not that it really mattered. Naruto could take all the time he wanted.

Hinata blinks. "Well that's also very prestigious and brave." She giggles. "I think they have to cut their hair in the military. Which is a shame, because you have very nice hair." The bluenette blushes and pauses. "I admire you for it. I don't think that I could do it. They'll probably ship you overseas and that's dangerous..."

“I know that it’s dangerous, but it’s what I want to do, instead of what my father wants me to do.” Sasuke sighs softly. “I’ve already got a conditional acceptance. As long as I keep my grades up, I’m guaranteed a spot next year.” Then his wry smile grows a little more. “And Naruto is going to be very loud when he finds out. Because, as you put it, I have very nice hair. He’s always cracking jokes about how vain I am. He’s never going to let me live this down.”

"Well I don't think that should be a problem for you." She smiles. "Keeping your grades up." Hinata tilts her head to the side. "Well there's nothing wrong with having a little pride. I mean...we're all a little vain about something. You haven't really crossed over into arrogance, so it's okay. Shame about your hair though." She smiles again. "I t-think that it's time for me to let him know how I feel. Thank you." She pauses for a moment and hesitates, but brushes her lips against his cheek in gratitude, slowly heading over to Naruto.

Sasuke stays there, a little shocked by the lingering feeling of Hinata’s lips on his cheek. It felt warm…and that made him feel cold. What made him feel even colder was watching as Hinata approaches Naruto, likely to confess her feelings. Ten seconds, twenty, thirty, a minute, two minutes. Then, Naruto grins a bit awkwardly, glances at Sasuke, before returning his attention to Hinata.

The cold feeling wasn’t going away.

Naruto walks over looking a little confused. Apparently, Hinata had decided to let the blond handle this. "Hey um I guess there was kinda a mix up. Hinata told me about it." He glances back at the blushing bluenette. "Apparently, it was Hinata. She got the wrong locker though. She's really embarrassed about it, but says you were cool about it." Most likely Naruto's paraphrasing. ‘Cool with it’ didn't seem like a very Hyuga like thing to say. "Are you...I mean, this has to be pretty awkward?"

Sasuke shakes his head. “It’s fine. It was kind of fun to solve the mystery though. And I definitely beat you to the punch.”

He rubs the back of his head sheepishly. "Well, if I had known it was my secret admirer, I probably would have tried harder." Naruto sighs in relief. "But…good. Because you know, I didn't want to make things weird between us."

It was a bit late for that, but Sasuke was determined to keep the weirdness to himself. “Well, at least now there’s no one left to mix our lockers up.” He glances at Hinata, who is smiling shyly behind Naruto. “There’s…probably something you should know.” Telling Itachi was one thing, but telling Hinata before telling Naruto was a bit…well, it just felt kind of wrong. So if he did them both within minutes of each other, maybe that would help. “Hinata and I were talking, about where we were all going in the future. She wants to go to Princeton, remember? And you’re heading to the police academy…”

Naruto nods. "Yeah. So?" The blond clearly hadn't connected the dots yet. He wasn't the most practical sort.

Well, time to get yelled at, and then laughed at. Sasuke takes a deep breath, preparing for the storm that was Naruto Uzumaki. “I got a conditional acceptance to the West Point military academy.”

Naruto blinks. "Sasuke, are you out of your mind?!" He blinks at him again. "You want to join the military?! You could get killed." Naruto just couldn't believe it. "Not to mention, you're a bossy bastard, so I don't know how well you'll follow their orders to begin with!"

Sasuke puts a finger in his left ear to try and block out some of the noise. “I decided and applied months ago, idiot. I only told Itachi last month, and you and Hinata just now. So don’t go and shout it to the whole world.”

"...You're really serious about this." Naruto sighs. "You know we'll only be able to see each other in person at most on the weekends and this AGAIN, could get you killed!" He flails.

Hinata walks over and places her hand on Naruto's shoulder. "N-Naruto, it's his dream. We m-might not understand it, but he should get a chance to live it. You want to be a police officer and I w-want to go Princeton. Sasuke's dream is just a little more risky than ours are. That's all."

Sasuke rolls his eyes at his best friend. “You could get killed in the line of duty as a cop. It’s no different, Naruto. And if it’s someone I can respect, then yes, I can follow orders. I know that I’m usually not good at that, but I’ll do it. That, and a lot more.”

"Alright. He's going to look REALLY stupid with a buzz cut, though." Naruto grumbles.

Hinata laughs. "And you aren't allowed to die in the line of duty and neither is he. Though I am glad you chose to be a policeman. There could be some benefits to that position." She smiles shyly.

He tilts his head. "Well yeah. I know like a pension and medical. The blond looks at her in confusion.

"I was thinking more like the handcuffs." Hinata blushes and Naruto's eyes widen. "Maybe, you should go for being a cop instead, Sasuke! Apparently, women dig handcuffs too!" He smiles at Hinata and wraps his arms around her. "God, you're cute."

“I’m good…thanks.” Besides, Sasuke had already made up his mind. “And I’m not going to look stupid, at least not as stupid as you do, idiot.” Okay, maybe he really was a little vain.

Naruto rolls his eyes. "You're such a bastard. Anyway, we should probably get going to class." He smiles and laces his fingers with Hinata's and then gives them both a look. "Hinata, don't jump in front of the bastard's balls again and bastard stop throwing your balls so close to Hinata! Be nice!"

Hinata blushes and nods. "Sasuke can be very nice when he wants to be. So that shouldn't be a problem." Whether she was just happy to be with Naruto or she got the potential, unintentional innuendo was difficult to say.

Either way, Sasuke was pretty sure he was going home sick today.


	6. Chapter 6

Sasuke didn’t want to admit it, but he was…sulking. He’d called in sick before lunch, claiming to be feeling the effects of the flu. Helpfully, Naruto had promised to bring him his homework. After all, ill or not, he didn’t want there to be a bump in his grades. Even if his perfect attendance took a hit, he’d make sure his grades didn’t.

Which is why he was here, locked in his room, lying in bed, his pillow firmly over his head as he hid from the world. Of course, the feeling sick wasn’t a lie. He really did feel like he wanted to throw up.

A cruel joke, indeed. He didn’t think he’d gotten attached so quickly. But it looked like Sasuke was dead wrong.

Mikoto decides to check in on her youngest son. She'd never known him to come home early from school, sick. "Sasuke?" He was rather...dedicated to his perfect attendance record. Perhaps even...obsessive about it. "Are you alright?" So to say the least the Uchiha woman was rather worried. She honestly expected to find out he had some broken bones or had been struck down with a vicious case of the flu.

Sasuke doesn’t answer, his head only shoved further underneath the pillow. He didn’t really want to hear his mother’s voice right now. It was soft and gentle, not unlike Hinata’s. And that was something he really didn’t need right now.

She frowns. "You're starting to scare me a little." Mikoto heads over and yanks the covers off his bed just enough to expose his head and takes his temperature with her hand. "Well you don't have a fever. Broken bones? Bad grade on a test?" She smiles reassuringly. "Whatever it is, you can talk to me about it and your father as well. He's...really a teddy bear, deep...deep...deep down."

“You’ll just laugh.” And like hell his father was a teddy bear deep down. The teddy bear from the crib of Satan’s spawn, maybe. Sasuke couldn’t even remember the last time, if there was one, that he’d gotten a hug from the man.

"Sasuke, I wouldn't laugh at you." She sighs and plays with his hair. "You don't have a fever and if you think that it's something that I would laugh about, I doubt it's a broken bone. So what's wrong?"

He sighs, enjoying the gentle touch. It…helped. “Naruto has a new girlfriend. She’s spent the last month and a half sending him love letters.” And really damn nice ones. But maybe this would get her off his back. It wasn’t lying, it was just…selecting what part of the story to tell in the hopes that she’d drop it or get distracted by the more pleasant implications of the topic.

Mikoto continues running her fingers through silky hair. "Oh. Well that's good for Naruto." She pauses. "Do you not like the girl or something? Are you worried that he'll have less time for you?"

“No, the girl is fine.” It looked like his mother was going to press it anyway. So, Sasuke glances up at her for a moment. “I started getting love letters…about a month and a half ago. They were different to all the annoying ones. The one writing them…was writing from her heart, shy, but trying to be bold and grab the attention of the one she’d liked since we were five.”

His mother blinks. "She got the wrong locker, didn't she?" The Uchiha woman makes an ‘ohhh’ face. "Well I can't say that's the first time that has happened at Konoha High." Mikoto winces. "I think I understand now. I'm sorry, baby." She hugs him. "I won't tell anyone."

“Thanks…” The last thing he needed was for the humiliation to get worse, even if no one but his mother knew how he actually felt about the whole situation.

"Well if it made you feel any better..." Mikoto's face turns slightly pink. "She's not the first girl to mix up the lockers." She giggles slightly. "I probably shouldn't tell you this. You'll likely never let me live it down, but Kushina meant to put her love letters in Minato's locker and accidentally put them in your father's." She rubs the back of her head sheepishly. "I may have gotten a little vicious at the time."

She shrugs. "Back then, the middle school and high school were combined. So it was possible. Your father was already a senior in high school. Kushina and Minato were sixth graders. I was in seventh." Mikoto laughs. "You can imagine your father's mortification when he thought that a twelve year old had sent him love letters."

Sasuke’s lip twitches at the stupidity of the story. Seriously, who accidentally mixed up the lockers of a sixth grader and a twelfth grader? Still… “At least the one who got the letters didn’t want them.” There’d be less miscommunication that way.

"Well it was quite the grand spectacle." Mikoto laughs. "It's funny now, but back then I thought it was a grave betrayal. Kushina knew that I liked him." She shrugs. "Obviously, the age gap was much more significant back then. That's why I didn't intend to tell him, but..." She pauses. "Well he definitely found out that day. I ran after Kushina, screaming obscenities at her. Both in English and Japanese. Everyone got quite the show..."

Sasuke was having a hard time imagining his mother doing anything like that. But she wasn’t one to lie. And it was morbidly funny. “I bet that taught her a lesson about observing your environment better.”

"I was...far too harsh on her, but at the time well I wasn't really thinking logically." Mikoto nods. "She did...learn her lesson. Eventually though, Kushina was trying to defend herself. Saying that she liked Minato and not Fugaku."

She smiles. "Well they quickly figured out what had happened. Everyone was embarrassed, but it did work. Minato took her to the movies that weekend." Mikoto sighs. "And your father...well he made sure that I was alright. Complimented me awkwardly on my impressive mastery of Japanese cursing and avoided me for like two years out of complete embarrassment."

Again, something that Sasuke had a hard time picturing, his father being embarrassed for any reason. Or complimenting someone. Then again, maybe his mother was just the exception to the rule. Either way, it was nice that she was trying to cheer him up a little. Still, it was probably time to shut the book on this mess. “…It was just a stupid crush, anyway, a mistake. I’ll forget about it in a couple days.”

"If you say so." She smiles and hugs him again. "But if it proves to be upsetting you more than that, I am here if you wish to talk about it." Mikoto had never known Sasuke to get crushes before. So as far as she was concerned, the odds were better than not that this wasn't nearly as superficial as most high school romances. "I'll let you get some rest though." Well at least not from Sasuke's perspective. And it seemed likely that neither Naruto, nor this girl, had any idea that Sasuke was actually upset. He was probably suffering in silence.

“Thanks…” Sasuke pulls his covers back over him, laying his head down on his pillow and closing his eyes. Sleep…sleep sounded good right about now.

* * *

 

After ‘the incident’ Sasuke threw himself back into his studies, focusing on them like never before, determined to prove his worth both in academics and sports, since the academy would be looking at both. Track was a must, then basketball, as well as soccer when the season came around. Chosen as valedictorian for his top grades, Sasuke delivered the graduation speech at the end of June.

All the while, he had been there, watched and supported Naruto in his new relationship, which was only growing stronger by the day. Naruto took Hinata to all the dances, regular dates every weekend, except when Sasuke was forcing him to sit down and study so that he would pass all of his exams.

Then, prom rolled around, and Sasuke had downright refused to go, though he’d heard afterward that Naruto and Hinata had stolen the show with Hinata’s beautiful white and lavender dress that would have cost a small fortune if not for Ino’s experienced shopper’s eye.

Scholarships were rolling in for the honor roll students, and acceptance letters were being thrown about gleefully as everyone made plans to move on to higher institutions, or for some, go straight into special apprenticeships, or even into the workforce.

Hinata smiles at him as she snuggles into Naruto's arms. "Congratulations on your valedictorian speech, Sasuke." The Hyuga woman seemed perfectly content with her position. "I'm pretty sure that means your conditional acceptance is now just acceptance?"

She had never seen anyone throw themselves into their studies and sports like Sasuke. Hinata knew that he wanted to go to West Point, but it was like he focused on little else but that. There were times when Hinata actually worried about him. It was one thing to be dedicated to your studies, it was another to barely focus on anything else.

"Get ready for that stupid buzzcut, bastard." Naruto grins. "You've definitely earned it." The blond had also gotten what he wanted. He was going to attend the Police Academy. "Not really sure why you want it so badly, but yeah. You've earned it." He laughs. "Probably because you're hoping to get less girls chasing after you that way." Not that there was ever really any doubt. His grades were good and his extracurriculars were excellent. That and his father was the Police Commissioner, that had a good impact on his chances anyway.

“Yes, my acceptance is official. And shut up, idiot.” Honestly, Sasuke really didn’t care about that anymore. …Okay, maybe a little, but definitely not nearly as much as before. “You seem pretty eager to see that happen. You must think it’s hilarious.”

Of course, there was also the matter of an entirely different acceptance letter stashed away in Sasuke’s bag. It was for something he’d applied for around Christmas. It meant that he’d be leaving a lot sooner than his best friend thought.

"Damn right!" Naruto grins. "It's weird. Your hair is prettier than most girls! Snip, snip!" He laughs and even Hinata couldn't help but giggle a bit.

Sasuke rolls his eyes at Naruto’s antics, before hardening his expression a bit. “Hey Naruto, do you feel like hanging out at my house, today? There’s something I want to tell you.” And Sasuke really didn’t want to do it out in public.

"Yeah! Sure." He smiles at Hinata. "You don't mind, do you? I mean just guy stuff and we can hang out tomorrow?"

Hinata shakes her head. "I understand. Besides, my family is probably going to take me somewhere and show me off to their friends." She sigh. "The curse of being a blueblood, I guess." Though she smiles, apparently used to being paraded about like a thoroughbred horse.

“Great…” Sasuke hefts his bag over his shoulder. “Come on, idiot, Itachi’s going to be home soon.”

* * *

 

Soon enough, Naruto follows Sasuke back to his house. "You alright? You seem a bit tense for someone who just graduated."

“Yeah, I’m fine.” Sasuke leads the way upstairs to his room, tossing his bag onto his bed next to a half packed duffel bag. “I just didn’t want to tell you once I’d already left.”

"Already left?" He looks at him in confusion. "Where you going? School doesn't start up for like three months."

Sasuke tosses a few more articles of clothing into the duffel. “I was accepted into a special summer course, I got the letter two weeks ago. Itachi is driving me there this weekend.”

The blond just looks stunned. "Oh. Um well that's great. I just thought that you know, we'd spend the summer together." He sighs. "Though I mean that's good. It shows that you're already up and running!"

“I need to be out of here before either of my parents can stop me.” Because Sasuke knew they’d try, but it wasn’t the only reason he was going early. Naruto had Hinata now, she’d be the focus of a lot of his time, and Sasuke wasn’t going to make Naruto choose who to hang out with. “Besides, you can always call or email me, I’m not going to be disconnected from technology. It’s West Point, not Antarctica.”

He blinks. "You STILL haven't told them?" His friend was just asking for it. "Your mother is probably going to cry and your father might actually lay a siege or something." He blinks again. "Like some medieval battering ram shit, but yeah. We'll stay in touch."

“I’m telling them today. And I leave in two days.” Though Sasuke had to admit that Naruto had valid points. “My mother…will cry, but Itachi will help her get over it. As for Father, he can lay all the sieges he wants, but I doubt that he could actually break into a military academy.” At least he and Naruto would be able to stay in touch…that made his nerves calm a bit.

Yeah...Itachi might be able to handle your mother." He sighs. "I mean she's pretty mellow most of the time, but your dad...he's another matter." Naruto was only half joking about the battering ram. "I wouldn't put it past him."

“Which is why I’m packing now. If he’s going to put up a fight about it, then I’m going to show him just how serious I am. I have all of the acceptance letters ready, and if he still wants to dispute it…” Well, Sasuke had one other way to show that he was serious about this, and that it wasn’t just teenage rebellion.

"I probably would have told them a little before this." He knew why Sasuke did it, but it still seemed a bit cruel. "I mean at least your mother. Ouch. This is going to be vicious."

“I know…” And he hated having to do it like this, but Sasuke knew that if he’d told his parents earlier, his mother would have cried and begged and given him a million reasons not to do this. And his father…well, that was a can of worms that he just didn’t want to open. “But this is my life, and they have to let me live it. It may be underhanded, but this is for the best.” He eyes the clippers lying on the other side of the bed as he zips up the bag. “Just one thing left to do.”

Naruto watches his friend warily. "Okay. Um what's that?" God only knows what Sasuke was planning now.

Sasuke reaches for the clippers and tosses them at his friend, he could say less to get his point across by just showing, rather than telling. “I was planning to wait until Itachi gets home.”

The blond blinks, quickly jumping to another conclusion. "Wait. You want me to do it?!" He catches the clippers and looks at Sasuke like he'd grown another head. "I mean it'd be fun, but I'm not really...I haven't cut hair before.”

“Idiot. One, clippers aren’t actually that complicated, and two, I wasn’t suggesting you do it, unless you really want to get some kind of last revenge on me for…” Well, actually, Sasuke could think of a lot of things he’d pulled over the years that Naruto would want to get him back for. “Anyway, like I said, I was planning to wait until Itachi gets home, I wasn’t actually suggesting that you do it, but if you desperately want to give it a try, feel free.” It was all coming off anyway, and the guard was already in place, so it’s not like Naruto could really screw anything up if he really did want to get back at him.

Itachi chuckles. "You're out of your mind, if you were actually going to entrust Naruto with that, even in jest." He walks into the room and takes the clippers from the blond. "Now, let's get started."

Sasuke rolls his eyes, sarcasm dripping from his voice. “Well there has to be something that the idiot can’t screw up, right? But no, I was waiting for you” He grabs the towel he’d put aside for just this. “You’re back a bit early, I thought you were at work until four.” Well, a special internship for graduate students, but it was still work.

"That's true. But I don't work on Thursdays." Pushing his little brother into the desk chair, Itachi pats down the towel. "I suppose if you're still insane enough to want to do this, I should at least enjoy making you look like the fool that you are. A brave fool, but still a fool." Itachi smirks as he flicks the On button, and immediately gets to work shearing off Sasuke's raven locks, starting with that duck’s ass.

Sasuke cringes slightly as clumps of dark hair fall down his shoulders, the buzzing already loud in his ears. “Hey, not so hard, that hurts!” Seriously, Itachi could be a sadistic asshole when he wanted to be. His hair was way too thick for that shit.

"Awe." Itachi chuckles, but slows his pace regardless. "Is that too rough for you?" He smirks. "If you can't handle a haircut, I have no idea how you're going to make it through basic training."

“Shut up, Itachi. I’ll be expecting pain during training. You’re the one who decided to surprise me with it.” Because damn could his brother pull hard. Asshole… Still Sasuke holds still for him, getting used to the feeling of pressure against his skull.

"You're going to be a soldier." He continues slowly buzzing off the dark hair. "Your opponents aren't going to give you advanced notice to brace yourself." Itachi smiles. "So you might as well get used to it and who better to prepare you for the cruel real world than your brother?"

Naruto laughs. "He's got you there, bastard." It was always funny to see the Uchiha Brothers interact. Like fire and water. And seeing Sasuke losing the hair that most of the girls in school either fell in love with or envied was hilarious. It was half gone, and the bastard looked really uncomfortable. Not to mention, he looked like an idiot with half his hair buzzed short. Itachi really wasn’t pulling any punches. He was taking it off in chunks.

“I’m not an idiot, I just wasn’t expecting YOU to be the ‘opponent’. Over there, I’d be expecting it.” Sasuke chances a look in the closest mirror, the angle a bit weird, but enough to reveal the absence of most of the spikes at the back of his head. That…was going to take some getting used to. “…Well, this is definitely going to make Mom cry.” She always did like to play with her sons’ hair.

"I imagine so." Itachi sighs. "Mother is going to be devastated, but this should cut down on the number of stalkers you get." He smirks. "Then again, maybe not. All the men at West Point will have the same haircut."

“I’m hoping that the security around the campus will keep the crazy stalkers away.” After all, Sasuke doubted that there’d be many stalkers among the other cadets. He huffs as Itachi tilts his head slightly, attacking his bangs next. “You think any of them would be stupid enough to sneak into the school?”

Itachi pauses. "I don't think it's likely. I doubt any of them know you're going to West Point." Another pause. "And if they do, I doubt they're THAT crazy."

That makes Sasuke feel a bit better, and he reaches up to toy with the remaining bang hanging down the left side of his face. “Well, at least the women there aren’t going to be crazy.” He hopes…

Naruto laughs. "I don't know, with the exception of Hinata...I think all women are at least a little crazy." Well at least the ones at their school had been. And he doubted that a buzzcut would be enough to get them to leave Sasuke alone.

Well, if there were any freaks, then the psych evaluations should weed them out pretty quickly, Sasuke was sure of that. “How badly do you think Father is going to take this?” Sasuke imagined a very cold, very stern look, a dismissive lecture, turning into a full scale argument loud enough the shake the house.

"He's either going to get very loud and demand you change your mind or give you the silent treatment." Itachi figured he might as well be honest.

“So basically, either what I’m expecting, or what he already does, got it.” Sasuke lets his hand fall as the left bang disappears as well. Not much left now… “I guess we should brace ourselves for the shitstorm we’re about to walk into.”

Itachi nods in agreement. "Naruto, you might want to leave now." It would be wrong to subject the blond to such savagery unnecessarily. "I don't want you to get sucked into the middle of this." He finishes shaving off the last of Sasuke’s hair, flicking off a few stray strands as he turns the clippers off and puts them down.

"Yeah…um, call me afterward." He pats Sasuke on the back awkwardly. "I still think you're kinda crazy for doing this, but you know that I’m there for you if you need to get it out. Just a text or a call away." And with that Naruto sneaks out the door.

“Yeah…” Sasuke sucks in a deep breath as his best friend runs off, probably trying to get to a safe distance from Fugaku Uchiha’s inevitable fury. He runs his fingers over the short bristles, taking in the very odd feeling of lightness. “Should I get this over with now, or wait until dinner?”

"It might be best to wait until after dinner." Itachi sighs. "No one is going to be in the mood for eating after this." He pokes Sasuke’s bare forehead affectionately.

Well, Sasuke didn’t really see how they were going to hide the fact that his hair was now gone from their parents, but if that’s how dinner was going to end, then so be it. “Fine. But this is going to go south, quickly.”

"Maybe, you should wear a hat." Itachi looks at him warily. "The haircut makes a rather loud statement."

“It’s supposed to…” Grumbling, Sasuke reaches for a hoodie. That would hide it better than a hat. That was the whole point of doing it today, so that he could spring the news on them all at once. It wasn’t supposed to be a change to just glance over and forget about.

"That'll work for now." Itachi smiles and heads off to have dinner with them.

* * *

 

Dinner was going normally enough, though Mikoto and Fugaku were a bit thrown off by the fact that Sasuke was wearing a hoodie at the dinner table. "We're so proud of you, Sweetie." Mikoto smiles at him. "For graduating."

Fugaku nods. "At the top of your class. As expected of one of my sons." Mikoto just shakes her head in exasperation upon hearing that.

“Thanks.” Sasuke’s eyes mostly stay trained on his food. Dinner with his father present was always so awkward, he never had any idea what to say to the man, if anything at all.

Fugaku falls silent, finishing with his steak. Itachi gives Sasuke a subtle look, a signal.

Okay, Sasuke had to decide quickly how to go about this. Spring it fast, or do it gently. Maybe, for his mother’s sake, he’d do it gently, at least at first. “I got into a summer course early for school. Itachi is taking me to campus this weekend to get started on my classes.” There, that was gentle, right?

"Oh well I thought you might like to relax this summer." Mikoto smiles. "But I suppose that it's a good way to ease into it. It can’t hurt to get an early start.”

Fugaku raises his eyes at the sound of his wife’s voice. “Good, there is nothing worse than wasting time. Itachi will be attending summer classes as well.”

Sasuke twitches at the mention of Itachi. They were being compared again. Still, so far, it was going as well as he’d expected. Time for the bombshell. “So we’ll be driving to West Point on Saturday morning.” Sasuke quickly braces himself for the fallout that those few words would cause.

Mikoto blinks in confusion. "Why West Point?"

Fugaku understands instantly. "YOU SIGNED UP FOR A MILITARY ACADEMY?!" Had his son taken leave of his senses!?

“Yes.” Sasuke puts down his fork, looking up at his father with a serious expression, his voice staying much calmer than the old man’s. “I applied last year and got early conditional acceptance. My acceptance was finalized two weeks ago when I sent them my transcripts and applied for summer courses.”

He glances sternly at Mikoto. "I'm assuming he didn't tell you about this either." Mikoto shakes her head quickly. "I can't believe you kept this from all of us!" Fugaku gives Sasuke a dirty look. "We are your parents. It's not proper to just spring something like this on us right before you leave. Especially concerning what could very well be the biggest mistake of your life."

“It’s not a mistake!” Sasuke clenches his fists and rises to his feet. “I made this decision a year ago. I thought about it for months before finally choosing this path. I decided not to tell you, because I knew that you would say it’s a mistake.” They were going to have to learn to respect his decisions, or they weren’t going to see him again.

"You can think about something for a great deal of time and it can still be a mistake." He holds firm, his face hardening. “There is still time before the official school year begins, which means that you still have the opportunity to withdraw before being penalized, and to accept a place at Harvard instead.”

“I’m not going to withdraw!” Sasuke angrily turns away from the table, refusing to sit down and be told what to do with his life. “And I’m not going to Harvard either. I applied to the other universities because you pushed it on me. I never intended on going to any of them.”

As Fugaku seethes and glares, Mikoto sighs sadly and walks over to Sasuke, holding him closely. "You’re a man now and while I really, really wish that you would change your mind...it's your decision, Sasuke. I just don’t want to lose my youngest son." Yep. Itachi was right. She was silently crying. She probably thought he had basically told her he was going to die. The reports on the news about the situation overseas for the troops were...well, not good.

“Mom…” Sasuke’s hood slips down as she embraces him. “I know that it sounds bad, but I’m serious. This is what I want to do.” He hugs her back, thankful, at least, that she’s not going to try to stop him.

"Well I don't really understand it." Mikoto Uchiha decides that had to be the understatement of the century. "Why would you want to go into an occupation that could end your life before it really even begins?" She sighs. "But I suppose that doesn't really matter. It's your dream. Not mine." She smiles and caresses his cheek wistfully. "Though I really wish they didn't make you cut your hair like that, it was so beautiful."

Sasuke rolls his eyes at the prod. “It’s the military, not preschool. Besides, it’s not that bad, I can put up with it for a couple of decades.” Well, it was a shock to him as well, but that wasn’t important.

"Well I suppose it will take some getting used to." Mikoto sighs. "And I know that it's silly to fret about such things." She looks at Sasuke like she was going to burst into tears again. "But it's easier to focus on that than...the fact my baby is leaving and going to West Point."

Itachi tries his best not to snicker at that. "Don't worry, mother." He smiles. "It'll grow back." He was never going to let Sasuke live down the baby crack though, or the beautiful one. Itachi would be a very poor excuse for a brother if he didn't tease him about that...forever.

Fugaku shakes his head with displeasure. "Mikoto, that's really the least concerning point regarding this…act of teenage rebellion." Obviously, his son was just trying to get attention, otherwise he would have mentioned this foolish idea before.

Mikoto gives him a dirty look for that. "What was that, My Love?" She smiles sweetly at him. "Did you say you wished to sleep on the couch tonight?"

Fugaku’s brow creases further at the ‘threat’. “You are indulging him in a foolish and childish whim. One that is too dangerous for him to handle.”

"And if you do not apologize to our son, I will revoke your leopard privileges." Oh now she was just fighting dirty.

Itachi shakes his head, leaning in to whisper into Sasuke's ear. "Don't ask about the leopard privileges. You'll be scarred for life." Itachi had once walked in on his parents when he was younger and Mikoto had been wearing a lacy leopard lingerie set. Apparently, it was her best threat she had against him. "I'd just go with it." Revoking leopard privileges was worse than the couch threat.

Sasuke recoils. Great, now his family was fighting passive aggressively about him. That’s not quite how Sasuke had pictured this turning out. He’d pictured Itachi and his mother standing back while he and his father yelled at each other. Not for his mother to threaten her own husband with the couch. Still, there was no need to escalate this. “It’s fine, he doesn’t have to like my decision, he just has to sit there and let me make it by myself for once.” Sasuke glares at his father coldly.

Fugaku rises from his seat, the last of the four to stand. "I don't approve of this, Sasuke." He looks at him. "You and Itachi are meant to go on to university, collect your degrees, and then work to contribute something to the world. Not throw your life away by aspiring to something so foolish and dangerous."

Sasuke’s eyes narrow on his father, knowing that this was where he had to be firm and unwavering. “You won’t change my mind. I know what I’m risking, and I’m willing to do that. And like I told Itachi, I’m in as much danger staying here, where I could be shot, run over, or killed by any number of threats found in cities this size. At least this way, I know what I’m getting myself into. Hell, I’d be in just as much danger if I went with Naruto to the police academy.”

Fugaku’s stance doesn’t waver, father and son engaged in a battle of wills that Sasuke was determined not to lose. That was another thing Fugaku disapproved of. “You were interested in taking law, weren’t you? Stop this foolishness and think about your future.”

“I am, and this is where it’s going!” Sasuke slides himself between his parents, doing his best to keep his mother out of this. “You seem to think that I care whether or not you approve of it. I don’t.”

Mikoto sighs. "The military offers retirement after twenty years." She glances at Fugaku. "He could always take up law as a second career, if HE wants to." She was going to have to put her foot down, it seemed.

Steely eyes watch Sasuke, waiting for even a flicker of his resolve breaking. There’s none. “Then don’t expect me to watch as you throw your life away.”

“Don’t worry, I don’t expect you to.” Sasuke’s fists clench tightly enough to carve marks into his palms. “But I’m going to live it, first.”

Itachi sighs. "It was a good try, mother." Another sigh. "They're both too proud though." He watches the scene play out almost as if it was in slow motion. He wasn't sure either of them would ever get over their pride and just accept the other for who they were. "Sasuke, why don't we go for a walk or something? I think that you've said all that needs to be said here."

Waiting just a moment more, Sasuke’s eyes leave his father and turn on his older brother. “Fine.” But if the old man thought that this was his victory, he was dead wrong. Sasuke was not going to stop, he was just going to pick up speed if Fugaku tried to stop him.

"Sasuke, we may not...be happy about your choice, but you're still part of this family." Mikoto sighs. "Remember that." She resists the impulse to cuff Fugaku behind the ears. For a businessman, he completely lacked tact sometimes. Someone was most assuredly getting his leopard lingerie privileges revoked for a good, LONG while.

Sasuke stays silent. His mother, he supposed, was right, but still…sometimes it was really hard to feel like part of the family when you barely have a voice. “Itachi, let’s go.” He needed to cool off, and being within a hundred feet of his father wasn’t going to help with that.

Itachi nods as he looks at their mother somewhat apologetically. "Alright." And with that the two Uchiha brothers head off into the warm evening air.

Sasuke pulls up his hood, his eyes drifting towards the slowly dimming sky. “That went about how I thought it would.” After all, if there were two unmovable forces in their house, it was him and their father. Itachi always was the more…reasonable and flexible one.

"It went a bit better than I thought." Itachi smiles cheerfully. "Mother didn't outright sob and no furniture was broken." He thought that was a good sign.

“I’m still going.” If anything was to be made clear, it was this. Sasuke takes a deep breath and exhales, trying to trick his body into relaxing. “It doesn’t matter what he says, I’m not changing my mind.”

He chuckles. "Oh I know. You're just as stubborn as Mother." Itachi pauses to smile softly. "You're just more aggressive and she's passive aggressive about it."

Sasuke’s thoughts, while firm in resolve, still wander a little. “Are you angry with me too? For deciding to do this?” He’d told Itachi months ago, but still, though his brother was supporting him, Sasuke wasn’t entirely sure how Itachi felt about all of it. Sure, Itachi was protective of him, and thought he was foolish, but that was really no different to the way he’d always been.

Itachi sighs for what seemed like the hundredth time that day. "I'm not angry. I'm worried about you." He glances at him. "I would be lying, if I said that I wished you didn't pick anything else. I should have just given more specific advice is all." He smiles at him. "It's fine, Sasuke. This is what you want to do. It's as simple as that."

Yes, this is what he wanted. “Thanks…” Sasuke gazes at the city around them as they walk. He wouldn’t be seeing it again for a while, or at least, not much. “Even if it’s not what you would have wanted me to pick, I’ll make you proud, I promise.”

"Sasuke, I'm already proud of you." Itachi pokes his forehead. "Foolish little brother, do you realize how few men have actually stood up to Fugaku Uchiha in the way you did and lived to tell the tale?" He chuckles. "I love you and if this really is what you want, I'll respect that."

Sasuke nods, his resolve as hard and strong as steel. Two days, that’s all he had left here. It was time to leave the nest.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Celestia193's Author's Note: Now, Silver picked the school to send the girls to, but Princeton doesn't actually have business or medical programs apparently, but ignore that for now and pretend that they do, okay?

A few months had passed and Hinata was now studying at Princeton. The bluenette smiles at that thought as she tours the pristine campus on her first day there. Naruto had already started at the Police Academy last week and Sasuke had enrolled in summer courses at West Point, apparently. So she had gotten the longest summer vacation so to speak.

She was well rested and bright eyed and bushy tailed as Naruto would say. The bluenette smiles at the thought of her rather cheerful boyfriend. Sadly, there had been no skinning dipping to speak of. When he father found out she had a boyfriend, it had been the most awkward dinner of her life. "The only thing more awkward was realizing Sasuke got those letters." She blushes, still embarrassed about that.

“Hinata!” A long blond ponytail streams through the air as Ino races towards her friend, having finally escaped the bookstore with her business textbooks. “Did you get the map yet!?”

The Hyuga woman nods and smiles. "Yes, I did." She pulls out a rather large map. "It'd be so easy to get lost here, without it."

“No kidding, I took three wrong turns on my way here and had to ask a graduate student for directions.” Seriously, this place was way bigger than Ino expected. But somehow, Hinata had convinced her to apply to Princeton for a degree in business management. Not that it wouldn’t be a useful degree, it’s just that the campus was huge!

"Yeah." She smiles. "That's part of the reason why I wanted you to come with me." Hinata rubs the back of her head sheepishly. "You have a better sense of direction."

“Well, then we’re both screwed, aren’t we?” Ino grins as she takes the map. “Okay, now I see where we are.” She looks up, taking in the spaces all around her. “Okay, so we’re in the liberal arts section right now, and I need to get to the business department, and you need to go…” She check the map again, frowning as she skims through the legend and all of the symbols littering the map.

"I need to go the School of Medicine." Hinata smiles at her. She was majoring in Physiotherapy. Originally, she would have been happy with nursing, but that wasn't really prestigious enough for her father. "Once, I'm there...I can probably find my way around." So she had decided to become a doctor who specialized in physical therapy. Hinata figured she could help a lot of people that way and her father seemed to find it an acceptable, if not ideal...choice.

“Alright…” Ino scans the map again. “There it is. If you take the first right and walk past the new gardens they put in, the ones with the koi in them, it should be a straight shot to the medical building.” She points out the route on the map, before pointing off in the direction of the first turn. “I’m going the opposite direction, so let’s meet back here after first period. We’ve both got a break before your second class, right?”

"Alright." Hinata pauses as she looks at her schedule. "Yeah. I have a break too. So we can meet up after that." The bluenette smiles. "I can't believe they actually have koi fish."

“It’s probably so that they can say the whole multicultural campus thing.” That seemed to be getting popular these days, Ino had noted. “Besides, its just fish, in the end, it’s not really all that different than having an aquarium on campus.”

She smiles. "I guess you're right. Though they are really pretty." The Hyuga woman turns to head off. "They remind me a bit of Naruto. I’ll see you later." And with that, she scurries off to find her first class.

* * *

 

Summer had been stressful, to put it mildly, but Sasuke felt like he handled it pretty well. He put twelve credits towards graduating before the school year even started. And now, taking eighteen credits, along with his extracurricular sports, and the training exercises, there’s little else to think about but school.

The dorms were fine, kind of small, but that didn’t bother Sasuke, he’d been in worse situations like this when Itachi locked him in the closet a few times as a child. Still, even with his quickly growing workload, he could make time whenever a call came in either on his phone or his laptop. A salute to unlimited wifi.

Maybe it was unrealistic, but Sasuke was aiming for nothing short of top of his class here as well. So, he sits in his room, or outside the dorm near the trees, or in the bleachers of the sports fields after every day’s classes and sports end, reading and memorizing his textbooks thanks to his eidetic memory.

Thankfully, he can sit in partial shade, letting his skin slowly get used to the sun, like he’d been doing all summer. After all, being overseas meant getting a lot of sun, and there was no way he was going to let his ivory skin burn red like his favorite tomatoes.

"You're really dedicated." A rather large orange haired man observes with a smile as he ambles over to Sasuke. "I don't think I've ever seen a freshmen study that much." The man was truly massive. Probably around seven feet tall and broad shouldered would have been an understatement. "I'm Jugo by the way.

Sasuke looks up out of his book, his mind already filing away the page he just read. “Sasuke. And thanks, I’m trying to finish in two years at the top of the class.” The man, Jugo, really was a giant. Could that possibly be natural? Well, maybe, some basketball players were like that, but this guy was built more like a tank.

"That's rather ambitious." Jugo smiles. "But as I’m graduating this year, I won't take offense to it. You just might do it. Just don't burn yourself out." He had seen far too many promising cadets do exactly that.

“The only thing threatening to burn me is the sun.” Sasuke squints a little as the sun filters through a few clouds, warming his skin even further. “Besides, I have to do something with my brain, or it’ll find something else to occupy its time with. Memorizing my textbooks seems a better strategy than anything else.” It kept his mind off less pleasant thoughts.

"Alright. Well good luck. Don't mind Karin and Suigetsu's bickering. It's entertaining in small doses." He warns him with a smile.

Sasuke blinks, not believing his ears. “Karin and Suigetsu are here?” How had he not known that one of his best friends and Naruto’s cousin were both here?

"Yeah. Suigetsu told me to be on the look out for a ‘pale bastard with eyelashes prettier than any chick’. He also said you were Japanese and were probably likely to have your head buried in a book. So I figured I'd take a chance." He smiles.

Sasuke smacks his forehead in frustration. “Who the fuck told him that I was here!?” He was pretty sure he’d kept his trap shut to everyone but… “…Itachi told Kisame, and Kisame told Suigetsu, and Naruto told Karin, right?” That had to be it, and it must have been done months before graduation. And somehow, those two blabbermouths had both kept their mouths shut.

Jugo shrugs. "I'm not sure. He found out about it though. The red head is very smart." The large man pauses. "But she's got a wicked left hook. Suigetsu's been on the receiving end of it a lot lately."

The world had to be playing some kind of joke on him, seriously. Those two idiots were HERE? “Where are they?” If they weren’t going to settle down, Sasuke would make them settle down. There were certain expectations here, and they’d get thrown out if they couldn’t follow them.

"Campus library." Jugo smiles. "I think Karin is trying to make him actually study or something." he shrugs. "He doesn't really strike me as a particularly scholarly type. I'm not really sure how he got here. He said something about an athletic admission." He pauses." Swimming, I think."

“Fastest on our high school swim team. Won the most races for our school in its whole history.” Sasuke would admit that if Suigetsu was better at him than anything, it was swimming. “Thanks, I’ll go and make sure they’re not trying to destroy the library.” He gets to his feet, brushing away stray strands of grass and straightening his cap over his eyes to keep the sun out.

Jugo was right in a way. Karin and Suigetsu were in the library and they were together, but not a single textbook was open in sight. If they were studying anything, it was apparently how to make out.

Sasuke’s eye twitches as he walks through the rows of books and happens upon the sight of his friend making out with Naruto’s cousin on the floor of the campus library. “And here I expected Karin to be pounding you into the floor.” He smirks wickedly, still pissed at the sight of the two of them goofing off like that. Seriously, did they have no shame? “But if you’re happy with taking it another way, you might want to do it in a less public place.”

Karin squeaked rather loudly, and Suigetsu jumps up so fast that several books fell on him. "Damn it, Sassy!" He grumbles. "That was so not cool!"

Karin glares at Sasuke and pushes her glasses up the bridge of her nose. "Well we were fighting and that happened. I wasn't actually going to sleep with him." She does a hairflip. "He wishes he was that lucky."

Sasuke raises an eyebrow at Karin, and especially at her now bobbed hair. The hairflip was a little…off, thanks to the absence of most of her blood red mane. “Why and how are you two even here in the first place?” You needed to have some pretty good connections, since one of the requirements was basically to go to a politician and get them to vouch for you. For Sasuke, that had been no problem, considering how well-connected his family was, he just went over his father’s head and talked to his great-uncle about it. And maybe Karin could pull it off, being related to the Commissioner of the NYPD, but Suigetsu?

Karin smiles. "Well the Uncle Minato vouched for me and the governor apparently is a graduate of Konoha High and a former Swim Team Captain. He was impressed by the merman's swimming." She shrugs. "So that's how his lazy ass got in."

That explained so much.

Sasuke pinches the bridge of his nose. “Okay…you two really need to be careful, otherwise you’ll get kicked out of here. But you still haven’t answered the why. I didn’t know that either of you were interested in coming here.” He glares at them pointedly, silently commanding them to answer.

"Well I didn't really have any plans." Suigetsu grins widely. "Keeping you from getting blown up seemed as good as any and they do let you play with a lot of cool toys."

Karin groans. "He's an idiot, but his heart is in the right place." She smiles. "Well it's rare to find a career that gives you a full pension after twenty years and there's a lot more that you can do besides active combat. So yeah."

Sasuke wanted to slap them both upside the head, but that would be frowned on. So, he settles for glaring. “You followed me.” These two had to be some kind of nuts. “I hope that you two realize just how stupid that is. Are you going to spend the whole four years here?”

Suigetsu nods. "Yep! We survived high school with you." He seemed to think that proved something. "So we'll survive this with you."

The red head smiles. "Exactly. For once he's right. Mark this on the calendar." And nods her own head.

“I’m not staying the whole four years, you know.” They really should have seen this coming. “I’ve already got twelve credits, and I’ll add eighteen more this semester, and eighteen more next semester.” That would give Sasuke a total of forty-eight credits, not including sports, training, and other extracurriculars. “I’m planning on being done in two years.”

They facefault at that. "Well we'll survive two years with you and two years after you graduate."

Sasuke sighs. Well, maybe this was a good thing. At least then, he’d have some experience by the time they got out of the academy. Maybe they’d end up all together, if they were lucky. “You’re both idiots…” He glares at Suigetsu in particular. “And I do not have ‘eyelashes prettier than a girl’s’, got it?”

Karin shrugs. "Well actually, I've always been jealous of your eyelashes." This causes Suigetsu to burst out laughing.

The urge to smack them both only grew.

* * *

 

Several months had passed and her first university finals were hurtling faster towards Hinata than she was like. It was as bit frustrating, between studying them and all her other obligations, she had little time to see Naruto in person.

"I know, I miss you too, but my father is forcing me to attend some charity event. Maybe, next weekend?" She sighs into the phone. At least she could hear his voice this way.

Overall, her relationship with Naruto was going well. They were just experiencing the normal struggles that any college students would have if they didn't live in the same city. He was sweet and kind. Funny and every inch a gentleman. (That last part was slightly frustrating, but they were almost never alone anyway).

Ino was now thankfully her roommate. Unfortunately, the blond was sitting on the other side of their dormroom and could hear every word, most likely. "Damn. That sucks. I was really hoping that I would get to see you." She hears Naruto sigh out and knew that Ino was likely going to give her a mouthful about this. Ditching the guy she had spent years trying to win over for a charity event. Hinata liked charity events as a matter of principle, it was just frustrating.

Ino continues filing her nails, rolling her eyes every time she knows that Hinata can’t see her, even out of the corner of her eye. Honestly, she pitied Naruto. Hinata meant well, of course, but this was NARUTO, the guy she’d been into since forever. The only kind of charity event that could possibly be more important than her boyfriend would be something thrown by either the president, or the UN. And she highly doubted it was either of those.

"I know." She smiles. "I can't wait to see you either, but I'll try to put my foot down. Definitely nothing next weekend." After a bit more protesting, Naruto seems to accept that and Hinata hangs up.

“Your dad really doesn’t seem to understand that you need some time to yourself so that you can be with your boyfriend and relax.” Ino scoffs at the image of Hiashi Hyuga in her head. “The man wouldn’t know fun if it bit him in the ass. We’re students! We need to unwind sometimes, and he’s being a cockblocker.”

Hinata splutters and blushes beat red at that last part. "I-Ino!" She blushes more. "Naruto isn't really like that. Which is p-probably a good thing because my father would k-kill him." She sometimes wished Naruto was like that, but their time together was scarce and alone time was even more so. There really just hadn't been much of an opportunity.

“I guess, but seriously, your boyfriend is like a dog, he needs attention, or he’s not going to feel loved.” And Ino saw another problem in that analogy. Dogs were loyal, and neglecting a dog was just…wrong, just like neglecting a boyfriend who was like a golden retriever puppy.

"I like dogs, but that's a little offensive." She grumbles. "He's not a puppy that I bought at the SPCA or something." Hinata huffs. "I want to give him attention it's just our schedules are so...different."

Ino glances at her friend and sighs, putting down the nail file. “Well, you have to admit that Naruto reminds you of a happy little golden retriever puppy sometimes. All cute and energetic and willing to please. But my point is that this isn’t good for either of you. So, once finals are over, you need to make sure to make a lot of time for him. Go somewhere, have a getaway with your snuggle bunny. It’s almost summer, so it’s the perfect time to go out and enjoy life.”

"Well alright." She sighs. "Maybe Naruto does sometimes, and we do need more time together as a couple." Hinata nods in agreement.

“Good, now…” Ino grins widely at some pictures on her phone. “There’s plenty of hot boys here. Maybe one of them would be interested in having some fun after finals.” With all of her classes, she hadn’t had time for a boyfriend in ages. She deserved to have some fun too!

Hinata laughs. "I'm sure you could find someone." She smiles at her friend.

Ino grins. “Time to find myself a Prince.”

"Mmm and you deserve only the best prince." She smiles.

* * *

 

Forty-eight credits, a basketball championship, a soccer championship, and the exams from hell. Sasuke felt like he’d accomplished a lot this last year. He’d squeezed two years worth of material into a single year, and he could feel his teachers staring at him all the time. Not to mention the whispers about where he’d be recruited to after the academy. Though he didn’t really pay much attention to most of it. Gossip was gossip, and putting stock in it only led to trouble.

Two of the loudest gossipers were still in an exam that Sasuke had finished an hour ago, and he sat outside, reading through the hand-me-down textbooks that one of the seniors had tossed him after their exams were done. It couldn’t hurt to get a head start on next year’s credits.

"Sassy, you're such a machine." Suigetsu yawns as he heads over to him. "Karin and I might be able to pull three years, but not two." He looks at his friend reading his secondhand textbook. "No idea how you do it."

“I’m a genius and you’re not, but I’m pushing you guys to take more classes anyway. That’s how it’s happening.” And it’s true, Sasuke had pushed them both to take extra classes the second semester to speed them up a bit. Just a bit, though. “I’ve got another summer term coming up and a mock boot camp for the next two months. One of my instructors recommended it.” It would definitely keep him busy, but it definitely looked good to the higher-ups, and that was a bonus.

He shakes his head. "You're nuts. You're going to have a heart attack by thirty." Suigetsu shakes his head again. "You know that, right?"

Sasuke raises an eyebrow at him. The guy did realize that they were going into the military, right? The chances of dying of a heart attack were pretty slim. “My heart is perfectly fine. Though you should probably get your head checked out again, I think you bumped it in sparring.”

Suigetsu rolls his eyes. "Whatever, Sassy. Time to go to lunch. Oh and it looks like you got a text. Your phone is vibrating."

Sasuke frowns as he gets to his feet, slipping his phone out of his pocket and clicking it open. He scrolls for a few seconds to find the new one. “It’s from my brother.” It had been a week since their last conversation, since Itachi had wanted to give him space to prep for his exams.

**_How did your exams go? ~ Itachi_ **

His brother had never been one to waste words. Every word had a purpose. And today apparently wasn't any different.

Sasuke snorts. Like Itachi didn’t know it already. That man probably knew what classes he already had picked out for the next year, and estimates on how he’d ace them.

**_Just finished the last one an hour ago, should have the results in a week. Hard, but I should manage to stay at the top. ~ Sasuke_ **

**_Well you know Sasuke, there is more than one position. Sometimes it's fun to let someone else take charge. ~ Itachi_ **

He knew that would fluster his innocent baby brother. He didn't know what possessed him to do it exactly. Sometimes, it was just fun to tease him.

Ah, the eye roll was still a habit, just not one that he indulged in while in front of his superiors. Though Sasuke managed to keep his blush non-existent.

**_Real mature, Itachi… Has the FBI come knocking on the door, asking to ‘borrow’ you permanently? ~ Sasuke_ **

**_Yes, I've secured a position. I thought the least that I could do in return was make my texts interesting. ~ Itachi_ **

There was a pause. Probably Itachi typing something else. He was soon proven correct.

**_Just kidding. This is a disposable and encrypted so even the techies can't read my stuff. ~ Itachi_ **

Itachi was such an idiot sometimes. Sasuke actually felt bad for the rest of the FBI. Having Itachi there with them was going to turn out to be their greatest asset, as well as their most horrific nightmare. You could not one-up the man.

**_Try not to traumatize the hackers. The FBI needs them to track the real bad guys. ~ Sasuke_ **

**_Of course, I'll do my best. ;) ~ Itachi_ **

Sasuke could feel the smugness oozing from the text. Itachi was even worse than him. Still, there was something that Itachi should probably know. There was one piece of ‘gossip’ that he’d heard straight from the horse’s mouth, so to speak.

**_The teachers have been looking at me a lot lately. I think it has to do with the colonel who’s been walking around lately. There’s been talk about him recruiting talented cadets as officers when they graduate. And I heard one of the teachers saying that I could make Lieutenant straight out of the academy at this rate. ~ Sasuke_ **

**_That's wonderful news. Lieutenant Uchiha has a nice ring to it. ~ Itachi_ **

He was proud of his foolish little brother. Sasuke definitely didn't know the meaning of doing anything half-heartedly. Though he still worried for him a great deal.

Sasuke can’t help but grin at the praise. Of course, he was shooting for higher than just Lieutenant, but one step at a time. He was already doing the best he could, trying any harder would be a bad idea, even he knew that. It’s why he didn’t add two extra classes on top of everything else. Still, getting a ranking officer’s position out of that would be fantastic.

**_Well, I’ve still got a year to go before I graduate, and I’m pushing it as hard as I can without dying, so I guess we’ll just have to wait and see. I’ll do my best, though. Did you at least see the basketball and soccer championships? ~ Sasuke_ **

**_Of course, I saw them. You were fantastic as usual, even Father was impressed. Of course, he didn't say so directly. I could tell though. It's a good idea to pace yourself. The world will still be fucked up and in need of soldiers whether it takes you two, three, or four years to graduate. ~ Itachi_ **

He smiles. Sasuke was still Sasuke. Always wanting his accomplishments acknowledged. Of course, that was human nature. Though he worried that Sasuke might be a little too eager to please sometimes.

Sasuke frowns. His father had been impressed? He doubted that. The man was clearly still angry with him. He had only visited once this whole past year, and only because his wife made him. And he’d only looked at Sasuke once.

**_Well, the sooner I graduate, the sooner I can start making a difference. And this is pacing myself, I’m taking fifteen less credits a year than I technically could. Besides, who was it who slowed down his schooling because the FBI kept wanting to borrow him, making it take a whole extra year to get his master’s? ~ Sasuke_ **

**_Just promise me, that you'll do something else besides just work when you get out. You're only young once, Sasuke. ~ Itachi_ **

An ‘extra’ year was an odd way to put it. He'd still graduated at the same pace as the other students who had enrolled at the same time with him. Itachi digressed though. That wasn't the point. The point was what Sasuke considered pacing himself, most people would consider working themselves to death.

**_Well, I’ll have to, after all, I’ll get some mandatory leave eventually. Whole months where I get to sit around doing nothing. ~ Sasuke_ **

That was actually the part that Sasuke wasn’t looking forward to. He hated being idle, and the mandatory leave was just going to make him idle.

**_Good. I'm sure the single female population would be more than happy to find you a way to...pass the time. I love you, foolish little brother. ~ Itachi._ **

Seriously, Itachi could be so annoying. After all…Sasuke wasn’t looking for random hookups, and being overseas would make any steady relationship tenuous at best. Besides, he had plenty of time. Maybe going across the world would help the perfect girl just fall into his lap. Well, not really, but Sasuke supposed it could happen, hypothetically, anyway.

**_Tch, love you too, sadistic smartass. ~ Sasuke_ **

_**Better a sadistic smartass than a sadistic dumbass ;). Be safe, Sasuke. ~ Itachi** _

**_No promises. Suigetsu and Karin are right here. I’ll probably have to break up another fight, or another makeout session in a few minutes. ~ Sasuke_ **

**_That is a lot of repressed sexual tension. You're a much braver man than I am to get in the middle of such things. ~ Itachi_ **

**_Kinda have to be to join the army. Not like I went for the desk job with the FBI. Besides, it’ll be good practice. ~ Sasuke_ **

Itachi chuckles. Sasuke really was just Sasuke. He didn't know what he was going to do with him.

**_There's nothing wrong with having a desk job. Desks can be fun. Anyway, I’ll talk to you later. ~ Itachi_ **

**_Yeah, see you later. ~ Sasuke_ **

Stuffing his phone into his pocket again, Sasuke looks up to see Suigetsu and Karin at it again. This…was going to be a very long day.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Celestia193's Author's Note: Lots of time-skipping in this chapter.

Sometimes, Sasuke really wanted to clock his colonel. The man made no sense half the time, was perpetually late, except in emergencies, and for some reason, had spiky silver hair that stuck straight up on his head. And somehow…none of the higher-ranking officers thought this was strange.

Sasuke thought THEY were strange.

Still, he had a platoon of his own to look after, while making sure that Colonel Hatake’s orders were carried out to the letter. This would be their third mission into hostile territory, trying to grab land from insurgents who were terrorizing the local people, so that humanitarian aid could be brought through on behalf of the UN.

Apparently, that’s what the colonel had been recruiting for that year and a half ago. Strong, smart, and creative cadets who could get the job done in the most strenuous and unlikely circumstances.

Which is how Sasuke ended up here, learning quickly out in the field as he learned how to command people other than his friends. Friends who would be joining him in about a year, if Kakashi’s words were truth. Apparently, Suigetsu and Karin had caught his eye as well, not to mention Jugo, who was right here with him. The silver-haired colonel sure knew how to pick them…

"We'll figure something out." Jugo smiles at Sasuke. "We always do in the end." At some point the gentle giant had decided that he was going to be Sasuke's shield. Probably because he had saved Jugo's buddy, Kimimaro, from drowning on one of their other missions.

“Right…” Sasuke stares at the maps, his brain whirring through countless scenarios. There were active hostiles in the region surrounding a village devastated by earthquakes, drought, and famine. Their mission was to clear out the hostiles and escort UN agents into the village, where they would proceed to supply the village with the basic necessities. Food, water, shelter, and medical treatment.

The only problem was getting in there without locking themselves into a possible pincer, and being mowed down from above. Sasuke’s duty was to make sure that didn’t happen. Even if this was foreign soil and hostile territory, Sasuke was determined not to let anyone die on his watch.

Still, that left the problem at hand. “How do we get in without giving away our position…?” The best outcome would be to get the drop on the hostiles. But there was no way of knowing exactly what traps were out there without an intensive search that would not only cost them time, but probably give away their location.

Jugo sighs. "That's the million dollar question." Or the million life question, he thinks to himself darkly. "I guess the smartest thing would be to send one person to distract them, but that person would definitely be a goner."

“I think I can help you out with that.” A woman with sandy blond hair approaches the men gathered around the map.

Sasuke looks up to see the young woman approaching, not much older than himself, and with a dampened lilt to her voice that sounded almost…Irish? “You’re one of the ambassadors from the United Nations, right?” He wasn’t sure that someone sent by the UN would have much knowledge of warfare, but if she had an idea…

She nods. “Temari Sabaku, half Japanese, half Irish, citizen of Ireland, and a United Nations ambassador.” She approaches the map and turns it around. “If ya want to sneak into the village or get the drop on someone, I’d suggest the animal paths.”

"Well it's better than my idea, I suppose." Jugo smiles. "Sasuke, what do you think?" He looks around and sees that the other group members were already being loud. "Guys be quiet or you'll give away our location!"

Sasuke frowns at the map, not sure that this is the best idea. “What do you know about these paths?”

Temari smirks lightly. “Well, fer starters, the ancient people of this area were pastoralists. Their descendants still practice herding animals. Which means that there are paths that lead directly into the village from the pasture lands. So, even if they’re all dried up, there are higher altitude routes that are impossible to trap unless ya have a death wish, and that’s if ya can even get up there in the first place. Some o’ them, you wouldn’t even know were paths at all.”

While the explanation makes sense, Sasuke still isn’t sure that they’d be able to work with paths like that. “If they’re so inaccessible, then how do we find them?”

Pointing to the map again, Temari outlines certain cliffs and plateaus. “Well, it depends on the season, since they rotate pastures regularly, but some of the paths will be easier to access than others, and the summer ones are the highest, so walk along those, and yer almost invisible.”

Jugo frowns. "Well it's a risk, but it might be our best chance of sneaking up on them." Which was their best shot at survival.

There were thirty men under his command, and if taking goat paths was the best way to avoid detection, then Sasuke would make that the plan. “And this information is good?”

The ambassador smiles. “Of course it is. I’ve been doing my thesis on this region, it’s why I volunteered for this mission. I can do my job and my research at the same time.”

Well, this woman was clearly nuts, in Sasuke’s opinion, but if this is what she was willing to risk to help people, then he couldn’t really judge. “Alright, Jugo, get ready to move. We’ll take the most concealed path down, infiltrate the village, spread out with the buddy system, and secure the main road before signaling the caravan and the eight escorts to rendezvous with us there.”

He nods and they head down the paths. Moving ever so carefully, hoping not to alert the enemy and slowly pairing off. "I hope this works." He looks around warily. His heart was beating fast and he knew the others likely felt the same way.

It’s Sasuke’s eyes that first catch sight of the small force of hostiles, about fifteen men armed to the teeth and clearly not local farmers, milling about below along the main road, thankfully quite a ways from the entrance to the village. When it came down to the confrontation, they could avoid civilian casualties. That was another of Sasuke’s priorities.

He holds his hand up silently, signaling to the rest of the platoon to keep their eyes on the targets and spread out, taking positions along the narrow path. Sasuke himself had a sniper rifle on his back, favoring accuracy and his excellent eyesight over heavy fire. He could fire off ten bulls-eyes in less than twenty seconds.

On his next signal, the first shots are fired.

* * *

 

Hinata smiles as she finishes another day at her internship. "Now, I can go see Naruto!" She was still attending Princeton and ever so slowly, but surely edging closer to achieving the title of Doctor Hyuga. With that thought in mind, the bluenette heads off with a bounce in her step. Naruto was coming over from New York to see her this weekend.

Naruto had started driving as soon as his classes ended, driving as fast as legally allowed as he heads for his girlfriend’s dorm. It had been too long since they last saw each other, and he was eager to wrap his arms around her and cuddle.

Which is why his grin widens as he pulls into one of the many parking lots of the Princeton campus, closest to Hinata’s dorm.

A short while later, Hinata heads into her dorm. She smiles and opens the door. "He should be here soon."

“Gotcha!” Naruto wraps his arms around her waist, squeezing tightly to surprise her. “I got here a little while ago, thought I’d wait for ya!”

She eeps and then smiles as she leans into him. "Y-You scared me a little bit there." Hinata snuggles. "You'll have to make it up to me."

“Make it up to you, huh?” Naruto grins into her hair. “How about dinner? I saw this nice Italian place on my way over. Wanna go?”

Not exactly what she had in mind. "That sounds nice." She smiles anyway though. Naruto really was too innocent sometimes, but he was so sweet and she just didn't know how to be more direct than that without making a fool of herself.

“Awesome, the car’s out front.” He tugs her along, back out the door and towards the car he’d gotten for his sixteenth birthday. And at his dad’s insistence, never sped in, and never crashed even once.

She smiles. "Alright. Sounds great!" Hinata follows him. She wished that she was a little more bold. Naruto wasn't the best at reading between the lines.

Unbidden an image of Sasuke's smirk on the day he found out it was her who had given him the love letters. He probably would have known what she meant by making up to her. As quickly as the thought occurred, she felt horribly guilty about it. Naruto was an amazing boyfriend! He was just a little...oblivious sometimes.

She gets in the car with him, once they reach it. "So how far did you say this place was?" He was kind, loyal, and brave. Honest and true. Not to mention, he was very attractive. What more could a girl want? Maybe getting past second base...? …Wonderful, now she was starting to sound like Ino.

“Like ten minutes, it’s great! You guys have so much cool stuff near your campus!” Naruto had to admit that he liked this place. He just wished it wasn’t so far away, then he’d be able to see Hinata more often. “And as I was driving by, the smells that came out of that place were amazing!”

She smiles. "It had better be great for what they charge for tuition." Hinata giggle.s "I'm lucky that my family is well you know, wealthy. How are things at the Academy?" Plus he looked really cute in his uniform. So would Sasuke though and why was she having these thoughts?!

“Things are great! I’m learning a lot from my teachers, and sometimes, I hang out with the K9 unit since Kiba’s always with them. You’d think he’d already graduated or something the way he’s always acting like he’s already in their unit.” Naruto grins gleefully. “I mean, some of it’s kind of rough, but that’s just because I don’t have Sasuke kicking my butt to study anymore. Instead, I’ve got Mom riding me. But the physical tests are fun, I’m a pretty good shot, ya know!” His nose twitches, on high alert for the smell of the restaurant. “How about you? You’re taking a full course load, plus your internship, and then you’re doing a residence later? That’s massive!”

Hinata nods as she listens. "That's good. Yes, Kiba's always had an affinity for all things canine, so it's not really surprising that h-he'd do well there." She smiles. "I'm sure you're a very good shot." The Hyuga woman kisses his cheek. "Well they only do it because they care. And it's a lot of work, but it kinda has to be. No one wants a half-trained doctor."

“Yeah, that’s true!” Naruto would kiss her back, but his father would kill him for distracted driving. “I bet you’ll be the best physiotherapist ever! Your patients will get better way faster with a pretty doctor looking after them!”

She laughs. "I don't think the doctor's looks has much of an impact on healing rates, but you're very sweet."

Naruto joins Hinata in her laughter. “Yeah, that’s what Sakura says all the time. Well, except when she’s patching us up, then she calls me an idiot.” Sakura, one of their high school classmates, was going to medical school in New York, and working towards looking after the emergency room. And thanks to knowing Naruto so long, she was getting practical experience by helping out the police force with the Commissioner’s permission. She was ecstatic about it, but took every opportunity to berate Naruto for being careless.

Hinata nods. "The pink haired one, right?" She smiles. "The one Ino always bickered with."

“Mm-hm, that’s the one.” That reminds Naruto of something. “By the way, how’s Ino these days? Still trying to find a decent boyfriend?”

"Yeah. She's good." Hinata nods. "And...yeah. She gets a lot of dates, but few get a second."

“Sounds like her.” Naruto’s nose finally picks up the smell of pasta. “Hey, we’re here!” He pulls off to the side of the road and into a parking lot outside a flamboyantly decorated Italian restaurant.

"She has really high standards." Hinata sighs and then smiles as they head inside to eat.

* * *

 

Four and a half years later…

Sasuke had to admit that no matter how nice his formal uniform looked, he preferred the more comfortable fabric of the combat uniform. The four ribbons meticulously arranged across the blue jacket made him self-conscious, like all eyes were on him. The beige combat uniforms, designed for blending in, did just the opposite.

Five years, he’d been at this, with a few breaks in between to make Itachi stop worrying about his health. This tour, though, had started a year and a half ago, which meant that he’d be heading home soon for a break. Itachi would definitely be pleased about that.

Right now, he was re-watching a collection of video diaries from home, from a bunch of his old classmates, checking in on him and supplying him with the latest news and gossip from home. It’s what he did while out of range of a secure Internet connection, and there weren’t a whole lot of those in this part of the world. Naruto was the one responsible for keeping him in touch with everyone, though, insisting that every time he gets their video messages, that he record some of his own and send them back. He’d sent his video back yesterday for Naruto to divide up and send to their intended recipients.

“Captain Uchiha, sir!” The voice likely belongs to whoever’s pair of feet are standing outside his tent. He’d recently gained new soldiers to the platoons under his command, and hadn’t yet memorized voices. Faces, and names, he had down perfectly. Voices were a little more difficult. “Colonel Hatake wishes to speak with you right away!”

Meaning that Kakashi was expecting him sometime in the next fifteen minutes. The man had a serious issue with telling time. “Tell him that I’ll be with him shortly.” Sasuke was tempted to tell the man to make sure that Kakashi didn’t run off somewhere, but that would be a nearly impossible task. The very casual and eccentric colonel marched to the beat of his own drum, and no one else’s.

Which meant that Sasuke had to play along as he enters the sturdy but very hot command tent precisely fifteen minutes later. “You wanted to see me, Sir?” It looks like this time, the crazy colonel had decided to stay in one place.

…That couldn’t be a good thing.

"We have determined some of the enemy are hiding by the mountains. It's very dangerous terrain and that's probably why they're doing it." Kakashi sighs. "We believe they may be manufacturing weapons there. Weapons that could result in quite a few casualties."

Definitely not a good thing. Sasuke could see the advantage to using that kind of terrain as a defensive barrier, a deterrent. “And we’re sure of the location?” Most other superiors would have freaked out if Sasuke questioned them. For some reason, the colonel was much more relaxed about it, and even encouraged it. Less mistakes were made that way. And less mistakes meant less casualties.

Kakashi nods. "Unfortunately, yes." He shakes his head. "Even they can't change locations this fast without leaving too many of their toys behind."

“Any information on what the ‘toys’ are?” If possible, Sasuke wanted to know just what he was leading men into, so that he could be prepared for anything.

"Amongst other things, we believe rocket launchers, landmines, other explosives, and guns." Kakashi's eyes narrow in seriousness.

Dangerous, very dangerous, and problematic. Sasuke’s only source of relief comes from the fact that there’s no mention of anything worse. Of course, this wouldn’t be the first mission he’s gone on where he risked getting himself blown up. And while he didn’t get out of those missions entirely unscathed, a few bumps and bruises were nothing, and half a dozen scars didn’t both him. He could be a lot worse off. “Would you rather have us take it in force, or infiltrate?” Both approaches had their merits.

"For something like this, infiltration might produce better results, but I will let you make the ultimate call." Kakashi looks around warily. "Either way is risky and I don't think one approach has significant net advantages over the other."

Risk a few people and go in to light the place up, or storm in and engage in a full scale battle… Sasuke was better at taking individual targets out quickly, and his stealth skills were definitely up to par. A full force attack would be clunky and full of gunfire. Plus, if explosives were involved, then a small team would be less likely to set off any defenses in the area. “I’ll take two squads, along with my own team.” Twelve people total, enough to do some damage, but not a full force, and less likely to get caught.

"Very well." Kakashi places his hand on Sasuke's shoulder. "Be safe. I'd rather not have my most promising Captain blown up." He smiles at him in a far too cheerful way. That was just how Kakashi apparently showed worry though.

“I know.” Sasuke shoots him a wry smile. The colonel had been…well, at least a mentor-like figure the past few years, but kind of fatherly too, even if the age gap wasn’t nearly that wide. “I’ll make sure that everyone gets out of this alive.” It’s the promise he’d always made, and so far, he’d never broken it.

"I hope so, Sasuke." He smiles again. "Well good luck." Kakashi authorizes the men he needs and sighs as later that day, they all head out. Unfortunately, he knew that it was far more likely than not, Sasuke was not going to be able to keep that promise. No matter how sincerely he made it.

Sasuke surveys the area with his team, the other two squads spreading out to take other vantage points. Taka was his private team’s collective name, a nod to the Japanese heritage that the four of them shared. And it was a team that he trusted with his life. And they trusted him with theirs’, which is why he was eyeing a ventilation shaft that definitely looked big enough to hold people. Hell, even Jugo could probably squeeze through it. “Karin, go get Suigetsu and Jugo, I have our way in.”

"Alright." She nods and heads off. She was a little worried about Jugo squeezing in, but she knew that somehow they would manage. "I'm on it!" Taka always did.

A short while later, she comes back with their other teammates. Suigetsu seemed to thrive in these type of situations and Jugo, well Jugo was Jugo. He was the living version of a tank. Karin doubted anything could actually physically hurt him. Well short of...you know something explosive.

After checking the point of entry one more time, Sasuke nods. “We’re going in through the ventilation shafts. It’ll be a tight squeeze for Jugo, but they’ll be running through the whole base. You know the drill. Once we’re in, no one knows we’re there until we’re on top of them. Take out threats and round up the non-combatants. They could have information to give us.” He didn’t like the idea of interrogating civilians, at least, not through overly harsh methods, but he knew well the necessity of collecting information. If they gave it up as thanks, that was a whole other story, and he liked it the three times that had happened.

They all give their confirmations. "Yes, Captain!" And with that, Taka tries to squeeze down the vents and follow their orders. And it was all going fairly well until...

Civilians.

Sasuke’s team made it inside well enough, even Jugo had managed to fit through the vents. But after silently taking out over a dozen enemy fighters, and confirming the movements and status of the other two squads, Sasuke’s team came upon a horrific sight.

This place wasn’t just a weapons depot. It was a lab.

There was an entire cell block devoted to holding what were clearly civilians, all of them looking half starved, exhausted, and terrified. The block connected to a currently deserted lab with an alarming array of tools that no standard hospital would have access to.

Sasuke curses under his breath as he heads for the first cell, picking the lock in a hurry. “Suigetsu, Karin, Jugo, I want you three to start taking them out the way we came in, and call the other teams for back-up. We need to get them out of here and light this place up.”

Karin's eyes widen in horror. "This is awful." It was like a scene straight out of a horror movie. She'd never seen anything like it. "Don't worry. We've got it." The red head starts helping the civilians out of the first cell as Sasuke moves onto the next. Though she wasn't entirely certain some of them were strong enough to make the journey.

Jugo was having similar thoughts. Though he does as he was told. "It's alright. You're safe now." That might be a lie, but he had to try to reassure them somehow. "Just be quiet and keep following Karin."

Suigetsu brings up the rear. He was a damn good shot. An expert marksman, and a master of anything sharp and pointy. "I got your backs!" He grins cheerfully despite the terrifying situation." And if they somehow got past him, well good luck getting past Jugo.

It’s not the first time that Sasuke has appreciated having an older brother in the FBI who liked to snoop in his room as a teenager. Thanks to Itachi, Sasuke’s lock-picking skills were top-notch, and he finished the last of the cells within twenty minutes, his team coming back and forth, escorting a few hundred civilians out as quickly and covertly as possible.

Still, there was an issue that had to be resolved. There was a lab and unfortunate lab rats, but no mad scientist to be seen. And that has Sasuke on edge, reaching for a smaller gun, just in case. His sniper rifle would do him little good in here.

Just as Suigetsu was climbing into the shoot and slipping out of sight, Sasuke was ambushed. It looked like the mad scientist and his crew had finally realized something was going on with their test subjects. "GET THEM!" The leader tries to rush towards the shaft as he could see a leg sliding on up there. Though once they were inside, there wasn't much that could be done.

Sure, they might be able to kill Suigetsu, but they'd just be squished up to the next person and if they took out the shafts, it would become difficult to breathe. Sasuke had to stall for time while the civilians got out.

Fortunately, his skills with smaller firearms and hand to hand combat were more than up to distracting a bunch of scientists. And he could definitely think fast enough to pull it off. Sasuke shoots off a few rounds at the lights overhead, the fluorescent bulbs sparking as they fizzle out, one by one. And with chaos brewing, he slams his fist right into the nose of the closest lab coat.

Sasuke’s team was making it out of here alive if he had anything to say about it. He could hear the civilians scrambling through the vents, their sounds becoming increasingly muffled with distance.

Some of the scientists were armed, but it was clear they weren't as well trained. Still, the sounds of the fight was likely to attract guards. And a place like this, was bound to have some.

Suigetsu’s voice echoes through the ventilation shafts. “Come on, Captain Bossy Boots, time to go!”

Sasuke curses as a couple dozen bullets miss him, still taking one shallowly to the arm, and another deeply to the leg. He returns fire, taking out four of the shooters as thundering footsteps can be heard a ways down one of the corridors. “Suigetsu, get out of here now! Your job is evacuation!”

Suigetsu was torn. He wanted to help his friend. His every instinct was screaming at him to do so, but the civilians needed him more. "You better not die on us Captain Bossy Boots or I will kick your ass!" And with that, the white haired man slips off with the others.

Redundant, but Sasuke would take it. Despite the burning pain in his leg, and a similar, if duller pain in his arm, he stands his ground and waits for the sounds of Suigetsu’s shuffling to disappear, reloading as necessary as the shootout grows desperate. He just needed a little more time. There was a pile of munitions not far from him, if he got the angle just right…

The remaining guards were getting closer, so Sasuke goes for his radio and connects to the other teams. “Is everyone outside the building!?” If they were, then maybe this wouldn’t be a tragedy.

There’s static, before Karin’s voice answers. “Yeah, Suigetsu just came out with the last of them. Where are you, Sasuke?”

“Good…” Sasuke lets the radio fall. He was surrounded, he knew it. And he was injured too. “Tell Kakashi I’m sorry I couldn’t keep my promise.” He raises his arm and shoots out the pipes above the vents, crumpling them so that no one could follow.

Suigetsu blinks as he hears the vents crash from outside. "Holy fuck! That crazy fucker didn't just shoot the vents did he?!" Sassy was apparently going to try to distract them while they got away. "Just because he's Japanese doesn't mean he has to go all kamikaze!" He looks at his friends. "Get them to safety, I'm going back in there." He glares at the building. "I'm going to save his ass and then I’m going to kick it."

Jugo blinks. "I think he did…and that doesn't make any sense." He sighs regretfully and drags Suigetsu off kicking and screaming. As much as Jugo wanted to go in there and save Sasuke, he knew the truth. If the Uchiha was taking such desperate measures, it had been his last shot before his death. He'd likely be dead long before they could get back in there, if he wasn't already.

As the vents collapse around him and guards flood the room, a bullet grazes him, nearly taking out his eye, if it weren’t for his fast reflexes, but still carving a groove in the skin along his cheekbone, barely missing his ear.

Sasuke aims his last bullet at the pile of munitions from behind his heavy cover. All he needed was one good shot. And he was a master marksman.

In less than a minute, the base lit up like fireworks on the Fourth of July.

"That crazy bastard!" Suigetsu glares at the exploding base. "I'm supposed to be the reckless one, not him!" He couldn't believe it. Sasuke was dead. He had to be dead. No one could survive that.

Karin stares in shock. "Oh God! Oh God!" She feels the tears start to flow. "He's dead." She was close to losing it, but luckily Jugo was still a bit more with it.

He scoops them both up over his shoulders and leads the civilians off. "He died to protect us. Let's not repay him by dying five minutes later!"

It was the least they could do for their fearless captain.

* * *

 

Kakashi waits back at the base camp with the hundreds of other soldiers under his command. It had been quite some time since Sasuke’s teams had left under the leadership of one of the most promising captains under his command. So promising, that he was planning on recommending that he be promoted again soon. The young man was talented and worked hard, no one could deny that. And his unit had definitely earned their stripes.

Noise echoes through the camp, not gunfire, but tramping boots, which means that the mission must have been some sort of success. However…there was a distinct absence of cheering, as you would usually see after Captain Uchiha’s almost flawless missions.

Jugo decides to break the news. He was the most...coherent member of Taka at the moment. So, he’s the one to enter the command tent, unbidden, but not entirely unexpected. "Colonel…Kakashi, I’m afraid that I have news." He braces himself. "We did manage to find and get many civilians out, but at a high cost..."

Kakashi’s blood fills with the familiar sensation of ice, now dulled after years of service. “Sasuke couldn’t keep his promise…?” He always did promise that everyone would come back alive. “Who?”

"He tried his best." Jugo sighs. "He got everyone out. Everyone but himself." There was no getting around it. It was best just to yank that band-aid off quickly. A band-aid that meant that their hearts were now about to bleed out, but there was no stopping it. "He sacrificed himself. He went down honorably."

The colonel bows his head. “I see. Have the medics patch everyone up, civilians included. I’ll take the main force and see about recovering anything useful from the site. And his body, if possible.”

Sasuke had failed to keep his promise…in the worst possible way.


	9. Chapter 9

A month had passed and Itachi was starting to get worried. Though he tried not to let it show. "Yes, I've sent you the profile." He liked doing criminal profiles. In a twisted way, it was fun to get inside the heads of criminals and outsmart them. "It should be in your email." He adjusts the secured phone some as he continues typing. "Just sent it a few minutes ago."

He hadn't heard from Sasuke in a month and that just wasn't like him. He usually made an effort to check in at least once every few days. Each day that passed only made him feel more anxious.

There’s a knock on his office door, a sharp rap designed to get his attention. “Agent, there’s a visitor for you. Army, from the looks of it.”

His heart lightens considerably. "Good. Send him in!" Maybe, he had been worried over nothing. It seemed his foolish little brother had come home, after all.

Half a minute later, the door opens to reveal Sasuke’s commanding officer, Colonel Kakashi Hatake. “Hello Itachi.” He’d met the young man on several occasions, often updating him on Sasuke’s progress without the captain’s knowledge. This…was a visit he hoped that he would never have to make.

He blinks in confusion. "Hello, Kakashi." Itachi pauses. "Forgive me, I was expecting Sasuke. It's...lovely to see you as usual, but where is my brother?"

Kakashi grows silent, his steely gaze softening in sadness. “Would that I could say that I wanted to be here.” He sighs. “…I would give you the speech, but I’m sure that you’ve given a similar one more than a few times, yourself.” After all, someone had to inform family when their loved ones were murdered by serial killers. And he knew well that Itachi had enough tact, at times, to give the speech, and the compassion needed to really mean the condolences.

"No..." This couldn't be happening. Not Sasuke. "Did you find a body?!" Not to his baby brother. His baby brother who had so much life in him. Who threw himself into everything he did. "You can't be sure without a body!" Oh God! If it was true, how was he supposed to tell their parents?!

“We haven’t, which is why we’ve technically listed him as missing.” Kakashi sighs once more and sits down in the empty chair in front of Itachi’s desk, prepared to tell the agent what he knew. “There was a base that Sasuke and his teams were infiltrating. It was supposed to be a simple mission. However…it turns out that there were civilians inside, three hundred and twenty-eight of them. They were being held prisoner, as test subjects. Sasuke and his teams got them out, but there was an ambush, and Sasuke was the only one left inside. He collapsed the vents behind his escaping comrades, before setting off the stored munitions. We swept the place for two weeks and found many bodies, some charred almost beyond recognition, and others perfectly intact. Sasuke…was not among them.” There were also bodies that had been incinerated by proximity to the explosion. “Your brother saved the lives of three hundred and thirty-nine people with that explosion.”

Itachi sighs as he feels tears well up in his eyes. "At least...he died well." As much as he wanted to protest that without a body, there was still a chance, that was bordering on intentional self-delusion. "Would you mind waiting here for a few minutes. I need to inform my boss that I'll be taking a leave of absence." The tears weren't going to stop once they started, he knew it. So for now, he would have to hold back.

"After that, if you don't have more pressing matters, I would appreciate it, if you drove me back to to my home." He was in no condition to drive and he didn't want to call a cab. "I'd rather not have to subject some innocent cab driver to my grief."

“Of course.” Kakashi knew well what it meant to feel loss. And he felt Sasuke’s loss deeply, though not nearly as deeply as the heartbroken man who had just lost his baby brother.

Itachi gives a nod of appreciation as he calls his boss. "I need to take a leave of absence. My brother was just declared missing. He's in the service and it's more likely than not that he was killed in an explosion." The Uchiha pauses. "I know that it's sudden, but I’m no good to anyone like this at the moment." There were policies in place for time off, if one of your family members died. Thank goodness.

Kakashi remains silent as he watches the young man before him slowly shattering into a million pieces. He’d long since lost the people he cared about most, but that never made it any easier to watch. Especially not when he’d gotten attached to Sasuke as well. The boy burned so brightly…it was hard to believe that his life could be snuffed out so quickly.

After another minute or two, Itachi hangs up. "He says he understands and offers his condolences." Itachi sighs. "Thank you, Kakashi. I still have no idea what I'm going to tell our mother and father though."

“The truth.” Kakashi rises to his feet, waiting for Itachi to feel comfortable doing the same. “Lies would only hurt them more.” Truth was part of their creed, after all.

"They're going to want a body." Itachi sighs. "Father might take it at face value…” There was a huge if involved there. “But Mother will be devastated, she’s going to want a body. She's going to torment herself for years without one."

Kakashi lowers his eyes. “There are still operations taking place in the region, and the base is being scoured thoroughly. If he’s there…we’ll find him.”

"Thank you." Itachi braces himself. "Though I think we both know that is a miracle that is unlikely to happen and I don't wish to lead the poor woman on."

Yes, Kakashi knew that well. “…Come, I’ll drive you home. There’s no reason for your colleagues to see your tears.” Because although Itachi was holding it together well, he was clearly at the breaking point.

He nods and heads off with Kakashi. "Thank you." That seemed to be the only thing he could really say at the moment.

Driving home a silently distraught federal agent was not on Kakashi’s list of things to do today, but to be fair, there wasn’t much for him to do, as he had leave for a couple of weeks.

Still, as he pulls up to the rather grand home, he exits the car and pulls a box from the back seat. Standard, of course, in situations like this. A small box of Sasuke’s personal effects, shipped back from the permanent base overseas where Sasuke had been stationed. “Itachi…as per Sasuke’s wishes, his belongings are being returned to you.”

He sighs and takes them. "Good. I'll store them somewhere safe." Itachi eyes the box with sad eyes. Was that really all that was left of his brother?

“There’s one more thing. It won’t change what happened, but…” And this was the part that the colonel, although saddened by the news he’d had to deliver, could feel proud to do. “In accordance with his actions, regardless of his current status, our superiors have seen fit to bestow this.” He removes a smaller velvet box from the pocket of his uniform. A Silver Star, though not actually really silver at all, save for the tiny silver star, nestled by a crown of laurels in the middle of the larger golden star.

Itachi looks at it. "You're right." He barely resists the impulse to chuck it out into the street and have the damn thing get run over by the nearest car. "It won't bring him back." Have it completely crushed, just like his brother was. It would be fitting. "But I'm sure my parents will appreciate it. " He certainly didn't.

The elder Uchiha brother was trying as hard as he could to keep his voice neutral. "Is there anything else I should know?" It wasn't Kakashi's fault that Sasuke was dead. And Itachi knew that he was only following standard procedure, but he still would have really, really loved to throw that stupid thing over the car and watch it get run over. It might as well have been Sasuke's headstone.

“Yes.” Kakashi puts a hand on Itachi’s shoulder. “Sasuke was greatly loved by the men and women under his command, and they all mourn his loss, just as you do, just as I do. He fought for what he believed in, the best way he knew how. You should honor him by doing the same here.” He removes his hand, just in case Itachi feels the need to last out. “You’re one of the best agents I know, Itachi. Don’t let this destroy that. There are still people out there who need your help too.”

Itachi figured that Kakashi would have said all that, whether it was true or not. "Yes, I understand. I told him that it was dangerous, but he wanted to join the service anyway." He sighs. "Which is a good thing for those people, but not for him." Was it selfish of him to wish he hadn't joined? If Sasuke hadn't, those people might all be dead now.

Was his brother's life worth the lives of hundreds? He knew it was wrong to think so, but yes. The answer was yes in his mind. As soon as the thought came, he felt even more guilty for thinking it. He shouldn't begrudge people their lives. Sasuke had died a hero. He had died doing what he wanted to do most and most people didn't get that if they lived to be a hundred. Let alone before they were thirty. In a strange way, he should be happy for him.

“No, it was good for him as well.” Kakashi knew that much for certain. “I saw him grown up into a young man worthy of great respect, with confidence and honor, a brave heart, and a kind soul, if a little impatient, hot-tempered, and stubborn.” The colonel smiles, despite all of the heartache. “I would have liked to see him take my place someday.”

Imagining a possible future that no longer existed wasn't helping. "That would have been nice." But Itachi didn't want to say that. Kakashi was just trying to help.

Kakashi’s smile fades and he simply nods to the federal agent before getting back into his car and driving away. Now, it was time to let the news sink in. And hopefully, the family would begin to heal.

Itachi sighs as he lets Kakashi drive away. This wasn't Kakashi's fault and he had to remind himself of that. Taking out his grief on the other man wouldn't be the proper thing to do and Sasuke would probably try to haunt him, if he did.

Fugaku, home from a long slew of business meetings, notices his eldest son returning early from work, with a box cradled in his arms and an unfamiliar car driving away. It was a strange sight. However, he’d just have to get the truth of the matter from Itachi when he came in.

Itachi sighs and braces himself. "Is Mother home? You are going to want to be holding her when I tell you this." Fugaku might not be the warmest man, but Mikoto had always been the exception to the rule. "You’re both going to need each other to get through this."

His son appeared on the verge of tears, or perhaps a rage, and believed for some reason that they would not be able to handle whatever news he had. This could not be good. “Your mother is in the living room.”

"Good. Like I said, make sure to hold her." He sighs and clutches the box tightly to his chest as he heads into the living room. "Mother?"

Fugaku moves into the living room, sitting next to his wife as she looks up at her eldest son. “Itachi, you’re home early.” She frowns at the sight of his face. “What’s wrong?”

There was no easy way to say this. "He died a hero. They even gave him a medal." Itachi shows them the medal nestled inside the small box. "He blew up an enemy base so his comrades and the civilians could escape." He bites his lower lip. "They didn't find his body, but I don't want you to get your hopes up. They're doing a thorough sweep, but he's gone. Sasuke's really gone."

Silence hangs in the air as two pairs of dark eyes drift to the shining medal inside the dark velvet box. It was every parent’s worst nightmare. To hear that their child was never coming home.

His wife breaks down in his arms immediately, weeping and shaking as Fugaku stares blankly at the star, before closing his eyes. Sasuke…his youngest child was a hero. And had presumably died, doing just that.

Holding Mikoto close, he strokes weathered fingers through her soft hair, black and silky, just like their son’s had been, though without the wild, spiky texture. He did not shed any tears, but his heart still ached with the loss. It had been almost two years since he last saw his son, he was supposed to be returning to New York this week.

"He shouldn't have gone." Mikoto knew that was selfish. He had saved lives. "I told him it was dangerous! I told him!" She sobs into her husband's shoulder almost incoherently. "At least he died for a good reason, but why?! Why didn't he listen to me?!" And at that point, she knew that it would likely be awhile before she was coherent again. Her husband's shirt was likely going to be soaked with her tears.

“You said that they didn’t find his body?” Fugaku had…seen things in his time. And he knew quite well that without a body, without definitive proof, there was no way to know one way or the other. Though he also knew there were things worse than death.

Itachi shakes his head. "No. They didn't." He sighs. "But I think that it would be wiser to operate under the assumption that he's dead." The FBI agent bites his lower lip. "He blew up the base. It's best not to torture ourselves with what would likely be false hope." That would be like losing him twice.

Well, Fugaku knew the law well, and with something as indecisive as this, as well as the fact that there was likely classified information involved, it was best to just go with the official story. “I take it that according to them, he is registered as missing?” They did that when no remains could be found.

"Yes, he's registered as missing." Itachi sighs. "Legally, a missing person has seven years before they're declared dead. So as far as the world is concerned, he's still alive. At least from a legal matter and there..." He looks at his mother apologetically. "Isn't anything to bury. So a funeral seems...I don't know, premature?"

That was the wrong thing to say. Mikoto lets out a series of sobs that were so filled with tears, she probably could have rivaled Niagara Falls at this point. So deep was her grief at losing her baby boy.

Fugaku nods, patting his wife’s back, trying to offer some level of comfort. “Then we wait. There is no need to decide things hastily. There is no rush. However, I think it would be best to inform his friends that he is missing in action.” And he knew one way to spread that message to Sasuke’s friends and old classmates quickly. Minato.

Mikoto sniffles. "I suppose that's true." She burrows against him, trying to bury her grief. "They deserve to know."

“Then I’ll make a call to the Commissioner’s office tonight.” Fugaku hadn’t been surprised when Minato’s term had been extended, again, for the third time. It seemed that the city just enjoyed their blond-haired, blue-eyed head of the NYPD. “Naruto deserves to know first, and Minato will be able to break it to him properly.” The boy was, after all, Sasuke’s best friend.

* * *

 

Minato had seen and done a lot of hard things in his life, having been a cop longer than his son had been alive. He’d chased bad guys, shot and killed criminals, seen the aftermath of murder, rape, gang violence, drug addictions. He’d told families so many times that their loved ones weren’t coming home. But this…was probably going to be the hardest thing he’d ever done, summoning his own son into his office to give him the same talk he’d done more times than he could count.

About fifteen minutes later, Naruto heads into his father's office. "Everything okay?" His dad had sounded pretty broken up about something on the phone.

Minato looks up to smile half-heartedly at his son. “There you are. I’m sorry for calling, I’d forgotten that you had a date with Sakura earlier. Did I interrupt at the end, or did I catch you both right in the middle?”

Naruto blushes slightly. "Fortunately, it was towards the end." A couple of years ago, he and Hinata had broken up. He had been over the Moon for her and the feeling had been mutual. At least at first. "Um so what did you want?" Though sadly, that didn't last.

He still liked her, but like was different than love. "It sounded pretty important." Maybe, it was just the long distance thing, but there really hadn't been any passion in their relationship. It was more like two friends who occasionally slept together. "And you don't usually freak out over nothing."

Sex with Hinata was good. Like most men his age, Naruto really liked sex. Unfortunately, she was just so shy and he wasn't good at reading between the lines. He knew that there was probably stuff she had wanted to do, but she had just been too embarrassed to ask. So the chemistry had been good, but it hadn't been fireworks.

"So what's with all the cloak and dagger stuff?" He grins at his father and tries to hide the current direction of his thoughts. "That's not like you." Good was good, but they both deserved to be with someone they loved, not just someone they liked. And well, now he was with Sakura. He was in love with Sakura. He wasn't sure about Hinata. It felt awkward to ask her about her love life or lack of one. They stuck to safer topics these days.

Minato loses his smile and gestures to the seat in front of his desk. “You’ll want to be sitting for this. And…try not to throw anything.”

That didn't sound good. "Okay. You're kinda starting to freak me out though." Naruto wisely sits down.

Now, to try and soften the blow, Minato had an idea about that, make Naruto competitive about it. “I have it on good authority that about a month ago, there was an operation to take out a hostile base near the permanent base that Sasuke, Karin, and Suigetsu have been stationed at for the last year and a half. And their team was part of the infiltration mission. Most of the details are classified, so I don’t know much. But inside, they found over three hundred civilians who’d been taken prisoner, and they freed every single one of them, blowing up the base behind them. Sasuke was in charge of the mission, and was awarded a Silver Star for his actions.”

Naruto blinks. "Wow." He grins. "That's great! That's like something out of a movie. Of course, I mean I've probably saved more than three hundred if you added everything up, but yeah!" He smiles.

“Yes, his actions were heroic, to say the least.” Minato sighs, knowing that this part was going to destroy Naruto’s cheerful demeanor. “Captain Sasuke Uchiha…stayed behind to serve as a distraction, and made sure that all eleven members of his team, as well as all of the civilians made it out alive. But he was ambushed, and collapsed the escape route behind his comrades…before setting off the stores of munitions in the base. So far, he still hasn’t been found.”

That...changed Naruto completely. "They're going to find him though!" He blinks. "They have to! I mean he saved them all! They have to dispatch a team! What about that leave no man behind stuff?!"

Minato nods. “It’s been a month and they’re still searching, but so far, nothing has come up apart from his weapons. He’s been officially declared missing in action.”

"But...missing isn't the same as dead." Naruto jumps up to his feet in protest. "Right?! I mean there's still a chance! The bastard is way too stubborn to die!"

His son’s words did put a small smile on the commissioner’s face. “Well, he certainly is a stubborn one, isn’t he…? Until his body is found, there’s a chance that he’s still alive. But…Naruto, you’re an officer of the law, you know the risks that come with doing what we do, so you should be prepared for the worst, just in case Sasuke died a hero.”

His eyes narrow and for a second it looked like there was a very real possibility that Naruto might flip the desk in his righteous fury. "Not until there's a body. He's not dead unless I see a body or what's left of it!"

“Yes, unless we see a body, or seven years pass without finding him, he won’t legally be declared dead. And I will hope for the best as well, and that he’s recovered alive.” Minato shoots his son a slightly stern look. “But if you destroy my office, I will put you on probation for a month.” Only a month, because his son did have good reason to be upset.

"..." Naruto looks at him in disbelief. "Seriously?!" He was tempted to destroy the office now on fucking principle.

“Yes, now if you must take out your frustration and anger and worry on something, the shooting range is downstairs.” He takes the keys out of his desk drawer and tosses them to his son. “And maybe when Sasuke returns…the two of you can compete to see who the better shot is.” After all, it wasn’t so wrong to hope, right?

He swipes the key from the air rather savagely. "Yeah. I guess." And with that, he heads off. It wasn't his father’s fault and deep down Naruto knew that, but he still needed to be alone before he said or did something he'd regret.

* * *

 

One year later…

After the first several months, and nothing turning up about Captain Uchiha, the focused rescue efforts had ceased, as there was just nothing more at the base to find. All of the information had finally been collected, and forensic specialists were examining everything that remained, and all of the civilians had been questioned about what happened, and then released and returned home to wherever they had been kidnapped from.

All of that said, Kakashi was working late on some reports, having been confined to a desk while he healed after an unfortunate attack on the permanent base. Surprisingly, even without their captain, Sasuke’s old platoon suffered the least amount of damage in the attack, and none had died. They’d been granted some leave though, and he’d recruited Sasuke’s personal team, Taka, to assist him in getting all of the needed reports ready.

Recently, a base had been found nearly a thousand kilometers away from the blast site, and the spy that had infiltrated the place had reported only weeks ago that one of the prisoners was interrogated on a daily basis, screaming plenty under torture, but never saying anything that the interrogators wanted to hear.

And, since they were still trying to break the prisoner, he was often carted off to the lab for their scientists to do with as they pleased. The spy, leading in a task force this very night, should be reporting in soon, confirming the identity of the mystery prisoner, and whether they were still alive.

The phone rang twice before Kakashi picked it up. And the first three words had him sitting bolt upright, hanging on every part of the report.

“We found him.”


	10. Chapter 10

Kakashi nearly drops the phone as he races to dial another number, one connected straight to a private desk, a secured line at the Behavioral Analysis Unit of the FBI.

Itachi answers the phone. "Itachi Uchiha, Criminal Profiler for the FBI, speaking. How may I help you?" It was probably just another case.

Months after Sasuke's disappearance, Itachi had managed to come back to work. He was now going through the motions of day to day life. Fugaku seemed to have accepted the loss, though he grieved privately. Even his mother was slowly, painfully slowly, showing signs of coming to terms with Sasuke's death.

The colonel takes a deep breath. “It’s Kakashi, I have news.” And was it damn good news at that. Well, maybe not good, but about the best that could be hoped for at this point.

"Kakashi, I like you." Itachi pauses. "But when you say something like that, it usually does NOT end well for me or my family." He clutches his pencil so tightly it snaps in half. "What more could the military possibly have to say to us? What more could you possibly take?!" Itachi winces as the wood likely embedded a few splinters into his skin. "Did they find the body?"

Kakashi rolls his eyes and a small smile makes a place on his face. “We found a lot more than a body. Captain Sasuke Uchiha has been found, rescued, and is being flown back as we speak. When he arrives, he’ll be transferred to hospital.” He sighs and hums quietly. “We found him, Itachi. He’s alive, all his limbs attached, though I’m not sure how, and he’s coming home.”

If the pencil hadn't been snapped before, it was definitely snapped now. "Are you SURE that it's really HIM?!" There was a possibility that it was a case of mistaken identity. While Japanese Americans were certainly a minority, Itachi doubted that Sasuke was the only man of Japanese descent that had been taken captive while serving overseas. "Because, I don't think I would be able to handle it if...this was an honest mistake."

“It’s him. They positively identified him through the hawk tattoo on his right shoulder that he, Karin, Suigetsu, and Jugo got to commemorate their team, as well as the four kanji on his left shoulder. Truth. Justice. Loyalty. Honor.” Kakashi had been rather surprised that Sasuke would have tattoos like that, at least at first. Then, after getting to know him better, he understood why. “Sound familiar? He said that he’d gotten it done in your calligraphy style.”

He blinks. "That's him, then." Itachi couldn't believe it. "What was his condition? Having all his limbs attached doesn't necessarily mean that he's coherent." He had to know that before he could tell his parents. He didn't want to ambush a vegetable Sasuke.

“Unconscious, at the moment, but my contact said that he was half conscious when they found him. He was quiet, but apparently he was lucid enough to recognize allies, if not specifically who. They’ll perform a battery of tests when he gets to the hospital to determine just how lucid. But…” Kakashi knew that this was going to be the most painful part. “It seems that he’s been held captive for the past year. Someone must have pulled him from the rubble before we could get to him.”

Itachi winces. "If he was captive for the past year, then he was likely tortured." Repeatedly. One horrifying possibility after another flashed through his mind. Each one was progressively worse than the last. "It would be best to perform the tests and determine his mental state more clearly before I have my parents ambush him with love and tears." He didn't want to trigger Sasuke into having some kind of attack.

“…We have confirmed reports of forceful interrogation.” Kakashi didn’t like it, but as Sasuke’s superior, he’d have to go and make sure that his favorite captain didn’t say a word to them. Not that he believed he would.

"Don't pull that military lingo bullshit on me, Kakashi." Itachi hisses. "Torture. Not forceful interrogation. Giving it a longer name and dressing it up nicely doesn't make what happened to him go away."

Another sigh escapes Kakashi. “Yes, he’s been tortured. Daily, it seems.” There was no point in hiding much from Itachi. The man had clearance, that’s for sure. And if he wanted to know something, he’d find out. “How he’s still in one piece after all of that is…well, his body is in one piece at least. That can heal.”

"There's a possibility that you may have returned his body, but not Sasuke." Itachi sighs. "Not really. I hope, that somehow he retained some small shred of sanity." If not, that would be even crueler than never knowing at all.

“If anyone could, it’s your brother. I’ve never met anyone with his sheer willpower before.” Kakashi snorts wryly. “In fact, I wouldn’t put it past him to have stayed sane out of spite.”

Itachi chuckles darkly. "Yes, that would be like him." He pauses. "What happened to his captors? Did you find them? Have they been punished?"

“I suppose you could say that…” Kakashi turns his eyes on the fax machine as it spits out a new report. “From what I’m reading…” His eyes skirt over the page, taking in every word. “Those that weren’t killed in the initial invasion of the base are now being held until they are tried for war crimes in international court.”

"I don't care what the court thinks it can do to them, I can do worse. And I damn sure know that my mother and father can do worse." Itachi growls. "Though that's something at least."

“If there’s anything left after Suigetsu tries to get his hands on them, not to mention Karin…Jugo…and the rest of their platoon.” Kakashi shuddered to think of the brutality that would happen if those soldiers got hold of the war criminals who took their leader.

"Well I think as his actual family we should get the first shot." Itachi shrugs. "It seems only proper. They can have the scraps."

“First come, first serve, and I really think that Sasuke’s lieutenant would rip them into pieces before anyone else got the chance.” Kakashi knew for a fact that Suigetsu was just that loyal, even if he liked to pretend he wasn’t. “Besides, you should know that they ARE his family. And they have been since even before I saw them at the academy. I’d say he loves them…almost as much as he does you.”

Itachi raises an eyebrow. "Very well. Inform the hospital they may call me at any time. Give them my work and my personal number." The man was on thin ice. "I don't care if it's at 3 pm or 3 am. I want word on any changes or any test results as they happen." He sighs. "Tell them only to call my number though. I don't want to tell Mother and Father until we know for sure he has a chance at a mental recovery."

“Of course.” Kakashi can feel the ice in Itachi’s voice. “And Itachi, his best chances of recovery depend on the people who love him the most. You’ve got the degree in psychology, so you should know that better than I do.”

"Oh I'm sure his comrades care a great deal for him." Just not more than his actual family. Thank you very much. "And they'll be enormously helpful in his recovery."

“Yes, I’ll bring them by once he’s had a chance to wake up, get his bearings, and settle in.” After all, he was still their captain. Though Kakashi would have to consider a few things in regards to that, if it turned out that Sasuke wasn’t capable of functioning as his post demanded. For that, only time would tell.

"Very well. Please do keep me posted." Itachi sighs. What more was there to say. "I just hope that he can pull through this. That he'll still be Sasuke."

Kakashi smiles softly. “People change, that’s inevitable. He’s not the Sasuke that you knew growing up, he’s become the Sasuke he wants to be. Now, he’ll have to fight to stay the person that he wants to be, or succumb to the pain. Hardships can either break someone, or help them grow. And I’m sure that Sasuke will prove to be the latter.”

"Kakashi, I like you but if you ever give me such a sugary, overly optimistic speech again during a situation like this, I will personally rip out your vocal cords after I castrate you." He smiles. "Do you understand me?"

“Duly noted, though I prefer to think of it as having faith, I’ll remember to keep my Beretta under my pillow.” Kakashi chuckles at the threat, knowing that Itachi might have half a chance of pulling that off. “You’re a fighter, just like Sasuke.” He pulls the phone from his ear and looks back at the reports on his desk. He could do those later. For now, he was going to go and get a drink. He needed one.

* * *

 

It hurt, everything hurt. His body felt like it was throbbing to the pace of a merciless drum. Still, Sasuke opens his eyes and looks around. This room was new, he hadn’t been in here before. He wondered what they planned on doing to him next.

Wait…

Turning his head, he can hear voices outside the room. …English? They sound like they’re speaking English, instead of…well, whatever those other people spoke when they were swearing at him.

Someone opens the door, walking over to his bed, and watching him as he blinks himself awake. “Sir, you’re safe now, you’ve been admitted to Mount Sinai Hospital. Do you understand me?” It’s a woman, dark hair, plain face, not particularly memorable, not particularly alarming either.

He tries to blink away the confusion. The last thing he remembered…wait, there were people in his cell, pulling him out before he passed out. They must have taken him. A rescue? Or was it just a dream…?

“Sir?” The woman waves a hand gently in front of his face. “Can you tell me your name? Do you remember who you are?”

He opens his mouth slowly, his vocal chords aching from long periods of disuse, and short periods of overuse. “I do.” His voice was a bit raspy, but he could still recognize himself in it. If this was a trick, he would tell them nothing.

The woman frowns. “If you remember, is there a reason why you won’t tell me your name, Captain?”

Captain? He’d never told them that. Sasuke falls silent, a defense mechanism designed to protect any and all information at all costs. After all…if he broke, he was taking whatever people wanted to know with him.

Breaking…

His fingers twitch, hands starting to shake a little as he grasps at the bedsheets. “What happened?”

"I'm Shizune. One of the trauma nurses here." She pauses because she didn't want to overwhelm him. "I don't know the full story because most of the details are classified, but I'll tell you what I know." She checks his pulse.

Good. His pulse was good. "It seems you were being held captive for a very long time, but you were found and brought back to the U.S. You're in New York state." Another pause. "And those that held you prisoner are going to be tried for international war crimes. So they can't hurt you anymore." That last part was important. She checked his pulse, even with the machines hooked up to see how he would react to a nonthreatening touch more than anything.

Sasuke processes the information carefully, his mind jumping all over the place, flashing him images that he didn’t want to see again. “I’m…in a hospital, you said?” Not another one…another nightmarish place for confining him in. His fists clench as his pulse leaps. “Why?”

"You were...apparently held captive for a long time. While everything is still in one piece physically, it's highly likely that you'll suffer from other challenges. PTSD being the most likely in my view." She smiles at him. "You're safe now though."

His fingers twitch again, prompting him to tangle the digits of his left hand near the bottom of long, limply hanging, dirty black hair. “…My platoon, and the colonel?” What had happened to them? Did he succeed? Did he fail? Were they dead, despite everything he tried to do for them? Was this even real? It felt real, but…

"I was told to tell you that all your friends are fine and that includes the colonel." She nods at him reassuringly. "I'm sure they will be very happy to see you, but only when you're ready."

They were fine…they were fine? Then they go far enough from the blast? “How long was I…gone?” This room was no better for keeping track of the passage of time. Had he been gone a day? A decade? Did it matter?

She sighs. "A year. Though I'm sure it felt much longer to you." Shizune looks at him sympathetically. "The worst part is over now."

A year? He was gone a year? Then…to most people, he might as well be dead… And he’d missed the start of the next assignment. What about his men? Had he been replaced? Or had they died? This nurse didn’t know everything…

At the thought of it, Sasuke felt about as dead as most people probably thought he was. As dead as he was supposed to be. “I was supposed to die in the explosion.”

"Don't say that." Shizune strokes his cheek comfortingly. "There's a reason you lived. You'll figure it out in time."

She was warm, and soft. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt a touch like that. The last touch he’d felt…

Sasuke gasps and burrows his free hand into the crook of his left elbow, pressing his forearm to his stomach, protecting his veins.

A needle, piercing the skin, burning pain, screams, his own, blood, tongue bitten, nails scratching at metal, throbbing pain. No end, no end in sight. Darkness… Silence… Pain…

She winces. "Sadly, that's about what I expected. It seems any touch right now is a trigger." She decides to sedate him just to be on the safe side.

As soon as Sasuke sees the needle, he smacks it away, eyes trained on her as he sits up in a flash, battling vertigo as he prepares for an attack. After all, that’s what happened whenever he refused a needle.

His muscles burn, suffering from some atrophy after being caged, bound, and dragged everywhere before being strapped down. Stretching his legs was a luxury, and now, his body was paying the price for it.

"It's alright. It's just for both of our safety." She sighs. "You're a lot stronger than me and if you lose control it won't end well." She wasn’t trained in combat, and even in his weakened state, he could do some serious damage running on adrenaline alone.

Sasuke twitches, before edging away from her, his conscious mind trying desperately to overpower his instincts. “Sorry Ma’am, just…don’t…” He didn’t want needles anywhere near him, not again. And he didn’t want to sleep and go back to the nightmares either.

She sighs. "Very well, but you looked like you were losing control and I didn't want you to accidentally hurt yourself." She smiles at him reassuringly. "No needles."

“No needles…” He nods, glaring at the shattered syringe on the floor. “No more needles…” He winces as his movements continue to pull his muscles in all the wrong ways. “Muscular atrophy…” He remembered that from one of the books on medicine and first aid. That meant that he’d been idle for too long while in captivity. A year…a year would explain it.

"You're going to need a lot of therapy. Both mental and physical." Shizune looks at him sympathetically again. "As you already deduced, you likely have muscular atrophy."

He glances sideways at her, wary, but no longer hostile. “…I’d like to speak to the colonel.”

"Of course." She grabs a phone and dials Kakashi's number for him, the colonel having left it with them when the captain was brought in. "It's ringing." She hands it to him.

Sasuke takes the phone, holding it to his ear while still observing his surroundings. He knew that he was disoriented, but his confusion was clearing, and details start to fall into place as he waits on his colonel.

Kakashi quickly answers. "Hello? This is Colonel Hatake. To whom am I speaking?"

“Captain Sasuke Uchiha, Sir.” Sasuke’s voice still sounds rather hoarse to his own ears. “I’ve just woken up at…” He rolls back the conversation he just had. “Mount Sinai.”

"I know. I was one of the people who helped bring you there." Kakashi sighs. "Sasuke, you were rescued. I know that this is a lot to take in." The understatement of the century. "But you're safe now and I can be there in ten minutes, if you want me there."

“…That would help.” Sasuke honestly just needed to see a friendly face. Not that the nurse wasn’t friendly, he just didn’t know her. And she didn’t know him, either. “…There’s a lot to tell you, Kakashi…”

"Alright. I'll be there soon." Kakashi rubs his temples. "The doctors and nurses are there to help you though. They are some of the finest trauma specialists in the country. You're in good hands." Maybe, that would help make him feel just a tiny bit better. "I'll be there soon." He hangs up and heads off.

Sasuke passes the phone back to the nurse, Shizune. “You’re going to have to leave when he arrives. There could be details that civilians aren’t allowed to listen to.”

Shizune nods. "It's alright. I understand."

* * *

 

Kakashi was accurate with his time estimate for once. He showed up precisely nine minutes later. "Thank you, Shizune. I'll look after him now." Shizune nods and slips out of the hospital room. "You look...better than I expected. Though I doubt you feel that way." It was perhaps the first time in Kakashi's life that he had ever been early to anything.

Sasuke shakes his head. “I haven’t felt like this since…basic training.” Now that had hurt like hell. Just minus all of the nightmares. “…I didn’t say anything.”

"I know you didn't, Sasuke." He sighs and sits on his bed. "I have to ask though. It's a formality." He looks at him apologetically.

Sasuke nods. “Not even my name or rank. Nothing.”

He smiles. "Good. Now onto more pleasant matters." It pained him to see Sasuke like this. Even in such a state, he thought of duty first. "I told Itachi." It made him proud, but it also made his heart ache.

Another nod, because Sasuke knew that it was standard procedure. And Sasuke had listed Itachi as the first priority in knowing if anything happened to him. “And?”

"He's very cautiously ecstatic." Kakashi pauses. "He wanted you to undergo the psych evaluations first before telling your parents." He didn't want to lie to the boy. "To make sure that you were…coherent enough to enjoy the reunion."

Well, coherent was one thing, having peace of mind was another. “I was confused and lashed out once when I felt threatened after waking up. I have calmed now, and can think clearly.” Sasuke decided that the truth was best. “I am coherent, obviously.” At least verbally.

"It's up to you then." Kakashi sighs. "It's perfectly understandable, if you want more time."

Sasuke bites his lip, anxiety rising, considering the options ahead. He was coherent, he knew that much, but… “How long am I going to be here?”

"Well they don't have a set date." Kakashi shrugs. "It depends on your progress and what you feel comfortable with. It's all being paid for by the military, so you don't have to worry about the cost."

That made sense, good. “And the platoon? What happened after the explosion?” The days, or maybe weeks after the explosion, he didn’t remember much. Just pain. That’s about all that Sasuke’s world was made of for a while.

"They're all fine, Sasuke." He nods. "They all survived thanks to you. Suigetsu even made First Lieutenant. Karin is now an army medic. Jugo made Captain."

“Good.” It was a relief to hear that the others were alive, and to hear that his friends had even gone on to do even better. Sasuke also noted that he felt more comfortable now, in the presence of a non-civilian. “Do they know that I’m alive?”

"Not yet. I thought that it would be proper to notify your blood relatives first." He sighs. "And Itachi may have threatened me a couple times when I implied that they had more or less equal rights." He chuckles. "Your brother is certainly scary when he wants to be."

“Yeah…” Sasuke glances around the room again, the whole atmosphere putting him off. “I hate this place.”

"I know but at the minimum, I don't think you want to taken out of here in a wheelchair. So you'll likely have to go through at least a couple weeks of physical therapy."

A wheelchair? Sasuke shakes his head. It would be completely humiliating. He may have gone through…that for a year, but he still had some pride. “And then into several months of training, right?” He’d need to build his strength back up, and no matter how much he’d like to rush it, his body could only build itself so fast.

"More likely than not." Kakashi shakes his head. "For the vast majority of it though, you'll be treated as an outpatient." He pauses. "Hopefully, that makes it a bit better?" He smiles at Sasuke. "Besides, I know the doctor in charge of that ward. I think you'll like her."

Sasuke’s eyes widen at the word doctor, and his whole body tenses up, despite his muscles screaming for mercy. Not more doctors, nurses were fine, but doctors… “…If they try to stick any more needles in me…I don’t think I’ll be getting another award for good behavior for a while.”

Kakashi shakes his head. "She's a physical therapist, Sasuke. The woman isn't going to stick needles in you. I don't think she's authorized to do that, even if she wanted to." Oh boy. This was going to take awhile. Poor Sasuke. He looked so scared.

Sasuke bristles at the pity he sees in Kakashi’s gaze. It was a look he knew pretty well by now. “Don’t look at me like that, like I’m a kicked puppy or something. I did my duty, that’s all. So don’t pity me for that.” He catches himself and his fingers tug a little on his hair, right behind his ear. “Sir…”

"You don't need to address me formally here, Sasuke." He smiles. "We're friends here. Not a commanding officer and a subordinate." Kakashi shakes his head. "Besides, I doubt anyone is going to hold lapsed protocol against you for a very, very long time."

“…Thank you.” Sasuke shifts in his bed, ignoring his protesting body. “About telling everyone…could we hold off on it until I can walk again?” He didn’t want to humiliate himself by collapsing in front of his friends, or worse, the general public. They just…didn’t get it. “Is Itachi going to come?” Sasuke did want to see his brother, but he was pretty sure that Itachi was going to tear him a new one after all of this.

Still, he had no regrets about any of it.

"He'll only come when you're ready to see him." Kakashi assures him. "As for everyone else, that's entirely up to you." He smiles.

Figuring that it was best to rip the band-aid off sooner, rather than later, Sasuke looks determinedly at Kakashi through dark bangs. “What day of the week is it?”

"Hmm. Wednesday. Why do you ask?" Kakashi looks at him in confusion.

Wednesday…now that held some good memories. And some bad ones as well. Sasuke shakes his head. “It’s nothing, I was just hoping you’d say Friday, or maybe Saturday. Unless Itachi still has Thursdays off.”

"I think that his boss would understand if he called off for a few days." Kakashi smiles at him. "Don't worry about things like that."

“I suppose so.” Still Sasuke didn’t really want to make Itachi break his schedule. “Then…could you tell him that I’m here, and that he can come if he wants to?” And Sasuke would take whatever time he had to brace himself for Itachi’s unending fury at nearly getting himself killed.

Kakashi nods. "Alright. I'll tell him." He looks at Sasuke. "Anything, I can get for you? I'm sure they have tomatoes in the cafeteria at least."

“No, I’m not hungry.” That was another thing Sasuke would have to work on, his appetite. The last time he’d eaten was…two, three days ago? Longer? What was the last thing he’d eaten anyway? But he didn’t feel hungry now, just sick.

"That's fine. That's probably just the shock of being back." He pauses for a moment. "Maybe, I could get you something to do. The TV might be a little overstimulating. How about a magazine or a book?"

A book…Sasuke could get lost in a book. He liked the dreams he had after reading books. “A book might be nice.” Books were long enough to keep his mind busy, even if he memorized them on the first read through. Just turning the pages would give him something to do as his mind filled in the blanks.

"Well I guess that counts as a yes." Kakashi smiles and hands him a book. "I've recently started branching out and you said that you liked fantasy once." It was a rather thick looking book. Of course, Sasuke wouldn't recognize the title, as Hinata had only showed him a couple pages.

Sasuke opens the book and flips to the first page. Elves, epic fantasy. His favorite.


	11. Chapter 11

Sasuke had stopped only two hundred pages into the book last night, going to sleep long after Kakashi had left. And mercifully, the book did its job, chasing away the nightmares, if only for the night. But a single night without nightmares did very good things for his body. He woke up feeling rested for the first time in a very long time.

Now, Sasuke was sitting up in bed, lopsided bangs tucked behind his ear as he read further into the story. It was a romance novel, an epic clash between kingdoms, a prince and princess with a forbidden love. It was beautiful and magical, and damn it, Sasuke was such a sap sometimes.

And then…came a very familiar looking passage, where the two…got busy on the floor of the throne room in the middle of the war. Yeah…great timing. Finally stake your claim on your girl in the middle of a war, where anyone could see you. Hot, but…not the best plan. But as the words sink in, Sasuke re-reads it, trying to remember where he’s read it before.

A flash of lavender comes to mind, as his eyes widen. He’d been reading the damn thing for hours, and only now did it look familiar to him. Hinata’s letter. These were the pages from the letter.

Oh…fuck. Sasuke’s cheeks burn with mortification as the images in his head change into something far more racy, the flush extending all the way to the tips of his ears.

That's when Itachi comes in. He blinks at what he saw. He expected to find Sasuke either sleeping or screaming his lungs out. Well that or crying. "Sasuke? Well you seem to be doing better than expected." Was he blushing? "Are you blushing? Did Kakashi give you softcore erotica to read?"

Sasuke whips his head towards the door, slamming the book shut and promptly putting it under the covers. “Itachi, damn it, learn how to knock!”

He chuckles. "Sasuke, you do remember what I do for a living?" Well this was better than expected. At least he was coherent and in a relatively good mood. He could almost pretend that Sasuke was still in high school. "Nevermind. It's so good to see you again." He pauses. "I would hug you, but the nurse says that might not be the best idea."

Sasuke scoffs quietly. “She’s the one who thought it would be a good idea to come at me with a needle.” It wasn’t human contact that was the problem, the first minor attack was a coincidence. The second one…well, that was the needle’s fault. “As long as you aren’t planning to shoot me up with something, I think you’re safe.”

He chuckles and walks over, poking his forehead. "Good to know." Itachi smiles and hugs him. "Well Mother and Father don't know yet. That's why Mother hasn't come charging in and attempted to suffocate you with the Huggle of Doom." He pauses. "They won't know until you want them to. Your platoon is all okay. And…I've missed you so much, Sasuke."

Sasuke leans slightly into the hug, a little starved for actual affection. “I missed you too…” Though this past year, Sasuke had thought very little about…anything, really. He’d never expected a rescue. He’d expected to die in that place.

Itachi smiles and embraces him tighter. "And if erotic literature is what makes you feel better, I'll buy you a whole bookstore's worth." That was Itachi for you.

“Itachi!” Sasuke pushes him away, or, well, tries to. “I’m not into erotic literature.”

"Sasuke, I've read that book. I know what happens in it." Well...that was some interesting blackmail material. "It's quite popular. Kakashi recommended it to me awhile ago." He shrugs. "I'm not usually a fantasy person, but it's quite well written."

If Sasuke thought his face couldn’t burn any hotter, he was wrong. “It’s not because it’s erotic, dammit!” Though he did have to admit that the book was amazingly well-written.

Itachi shakes his head. "There's no need to be embarrassed about such things." He smiles. "You're a grown man and this is actually a good thing. Many people who have suffered as you have lose all interest in intimacy. It's a good sign."

“Well it’s not like I’m trying to jump the nurses…” Seriously, it felt like Itachi was trying his very best to embarrass him. As if the state of his body wasn’t already enough to be embarrassed about. “Besides, it’s not…about that.”

"Shame. Some of the nurses are rather attractive." He smiles. "I know. You just like the fantasy aspect, of course and the erotica is the, forgive me, cherry on top?"

Sasuke twitches irritably. “Speaking of the cherry on top, or maybe blueberry would be a better term. Has Kisame banged you yet? Or is Father still trying to convince you that you’re straight? You never did answer that in any of the video messages.” It was a low blow, sure, but Sasuke was feeling vindictive. And like he had to change the subject.

Itachi gives him a dirty look. "You always did have such a sadistic sense of humor and why on Earth in this imaginary relationship you have forced me into, do you assume that Kisame would be the more aggressive partner?" He scoffs. "Wait. Nevermind. I don't want to know."

“Because he’s built like a tank, and you have hair like a girl.” In Sasuke’s mind, it made perfect sense. Itachi was just far more effeminate than most men. For heavens sake, his hair was even longer now than Sasuke remembered! Talk about prissy. Suigetsu was right when he called Itachi a princess.

"That is horribly stereotypical." He rolls his eyes. "And look who is talking. You favor mother so heavily, that if it wasn't for your shorter hair and lack of breasts, half the time I wouldn't be able to tell the difference!"

Sasuke clicks his tongue and tugs on the unkempt locks. “Well that’s not my fault. Why do you think I never let THIS happen?” Actually, right now, Sasuke felt like he had to be doused in a gallon of shampoo, just to scrub whatever imaginary blood and dirt hadn’t already been scrubbed away.

"I know. I was speaking more about your skin tone and facial structure." He pokes his forehead. "Foolish little brother. Are you in a lot of physical pain now or did they give you lots of drugs?"

Sasuke’s eyes dim instantly at the question. “I’m not on drugs.” Not only because it wasn’t possible for them to give him any, since he wouldn’t let them get within fifty feet of him with a needle, but also because he refused to be dependent on drugs for his recovery. He was stronger than that.

Itachi sighs. Sasuke was going to be stubborn. "I see. Well how much pain are you in?" He knew that he had to be in some.

Sasuke sinks back a little towards the propped up pillows, his eyes finding the now uncovered window to stare at the sunlight. “Enough.” Sunlight was something he’d gotten precious little of, something that his once lightly tanned skin didn’t protest against.

"Don't be too harsh on yourself." Itachi pats his shoulder affectionately. "You've been through quite the ordeal. Kakashi says they'll start you on physical therapy as soon as you're ready. It's going to be painful and frustrating, but it's necessary." He shakes his head. "So try not to traumatize the doctor."

Sasuke’s chest constricts, and one hand clenches on the bedsheets, while the other shoots up, his fingers twirling around a single lock of hair. This is why he didn’t want to be here. Doctors, doctors everywhere. Needles, scalpels, surgical tools…

Screams, pain, the taste of blood on his tongue. Darkness, walls closing in. His back split open a hundred times. Hard to breathe, can’t breathe, drowning…

"Sasuke!" Itachi tries to help him as he places a nearby rag into his mouth. At the very least, he could keep him from biting his tongue. "NURSE! NURSE!" He presses an emergency button and Shizune comes running in and tries to calm Sasuke.

Sasuke’s vision blurs as memories surface. It was so hard to breathe, he couldn’t move, he was stuck, walls closing in around him, darkness, silence, nothing…

Shizune takes a deep breath, calming herself so that she can calm her patient and removing the gag from his mouth. “Sasuke, it’s alright, you’re safe. You’re with your brother, Itachi. Focus on Itachi.” She grimaces at the sight of the young soldier, pupils blown wide with fear. PTSD, just like she’d expected. “You can breathe, in and out, in and out.” She had hoped that she wouldn’t have to resort to a paper bag. But what with the shallow, rapid breaths Sasuke was suffering, he was going to knock himself out at this rate. “Itachi there’s a paper bag on the table, hand it to me!” She’d prepared it just in case something like this happened.

Itachi quickly does so. He knew better than to ask why at a time like this. He could only pray that Shizune could help him.

Shizune presses the bag around Sasuke’s mouth and nose, sealing the edges. “Okay Sasuke, breathe for me. In and out, in and out.”

Sasuke couldn’t see a thing, but there was something covering his face, something that made him feel…kind of sleepy. Sleepy and warm. It made it easier to breathe too, and he could take deeper breathes as voices came into fuzzy existence.

“Achi…fo…on…tachi.” It didn’t make any sense at all. “Focus…Ita…” Focus on what? “Sasuke, focus on Itachi!”

Itachi…? Sasuke’s eyes flick open as his breathing slows to a crawl. His eyes slowly focus in on…right, Itachi…Itachi was here with him. Wait, what were they talking about? His eyes flick to right in front of him, where Shizune is removing the bag from his face. “Feeling better now?” He nods sluggishly. “Good. You threw off the balance of oxygen and carbon dioxide in your blood when you went into an anxiety attack.”

He…panicked? He had a full blown panic attack, but how…?

Right, doctors…

Sasuke closes his eyes for a moment, laying back against the pillows and turning over on his side. “Just…don’t mention doctors again…” He cringes as he says the word himself, but wills himself not to panic again.

Itachi winces at seeing his brother like this. He had no idea how Sasuke was going to make it through physical therapy or counseling, if the mere mention of the D word was a trigger. "It's okay, Sasuke." Well...maybe. Maybe, Sasuke just wouldn't associate Hinata with being a doctor, even if she was. She was just a physical therapist.

No, it wasn’t okay. “I hate this place…it’s just like where they kept me.” Except here, Sasuke could actually see the sun.

Itachi sighs and hugs him. "Well you know that you're getting out of here and the faster you get better, the sooner you'll be out." It was heartbreaking.

“Yeah…” Sasuke would much prefer a battlefield to this place. At least what he was used to was outdoors and wide open. This place…it just made his newfound claustrophobia worse.

"Besides, I think I know something that might make you feel better." He glances at Shizune. "Number Seven please." Itachi knew that he couldn't say the D word around Sasuke, but Hinata worked on the seventh floor. So Shizune should get the message.

Sasuke blinks up at his brother, confused by the encrypted request. “What kind of FBI shit are you pulling now, ‘Tachi?”

He smiles cheerfully. "Don't worry." It was a shame that he had to resort to such underhanded tactics, but whatever worked.

* * *

 

Shizune nods and heads off. She goes and finds Hinata. "Hinata, the POW is up and around. He seems to be mostly lucid. Needles and the word doctor are a trigger though." She pauses.

Hinata nods. "Those are pretty common triggers." Needles were a given for almost any POW. So were doctors. "I guess, I should go without my doctor coat then?" That might make it easier.

Shizune sighs and nods. "Yes, the mere mention of the word doctor forced him into a panic attack. Besides, Itachi claims that you used to go to high school with this one, so a familiar face might be a good idea."

"I went to high school with him?" Hinata blinks at the name Itachi. Itachi was a friend of Naruto's. She mostly knew him in a distant sorta way. He was her ex boyfriend's, best friend's brother. They were cordial and talked occasionally, but this could mean only one thing. "Is Sasuke alive?!"

Shizune nods. "Yes, the patient's name is Sasuke Uchiha." Well apparently the Hyuga woman remembered him, judging by the reaction.

"What room is he in?" Hinata looks at her and as soon as Shizune told her, Hinata ran down six flights of stairs and straight into his room. "I probably s-should have used the elevator." The woman hadn't really been thinking straight really. Not that would stop her. She darts inside his room. "Sasuke?"

It had been a long time since he last heard that voice, but there was no mistaking it. She was HERE!? Sasuke glares at his older brother. “I am about two more of your stunts away from being court-martialed for murder, Itachi.” He groans and pulls a pillow over his head, trying to hide away from the girl he’d had a crush on their senior year.

"Well I'll just leave you two to catch up." Itachi gulps. He wasn't entirely sure that Sasuke was joking. "Have fun." And in the interest of self-preservation, he runs off.

She blinks. That wasn't exactly the reaction she had expected. "Sasuke, it's okay." Maybe, he just didn't recognize her. It had been years. "It's me. Hinata. Well you might not remember me, actually." She had dated his best friend, but that was years ago and he had obviously gone through a lot. Such a trivial detail might have been repressed. "We went to high school together?"

Sasuke lifts a single corner of the pillow. “It’s been a while, Hinata…I got the last batch of messages…last January, I think. Ino talked about you, a lot. Said you were…” Yeah…best not to mention her career. “I didn’t know you worked here.” If he had, he would have insisted that Kakashi have him moved away from this utter mortification. And to think that Hinata used to be the shy one. Then again, Sasuke wasn’t exactly in the best shape right now. He couldn’t even walk properly. “You must be the Number Seven that Itachi was talking about.” That asshole, leaving him here with Hinata. “And of course I remember you, eidetic memory, remember?” He remembered all of the accidental love letters. Every single word.

"Oh. Well..." This was awkward. "I'm glad that you remember me." She smiles softly at him. "Though I’m not sure how helpful the eidetic memory is right now." Hinata gently reaches for him. "I imagine it was very helpful on tests."

The memory was a nightmare, literally, it played back all of his trauma in true to life detail. Still, Sasuke allows the touch, her hand landing on his back as he covers his head back up. This was so embarrassing…he was fine with Itachi seeing him like this, and even Kakashi, but one of his peers? He’d wanted to be strong again before seeing them. Not…this. “Yeah, aced every exam at the academy.”

She smiles. "As expected." Even wounded like this and apparently half starved, he was still incredibly beautiful. "I doubt there was ever a test in your life that you even got a B on." In a masculine way, of course. Hinata could see why Ino had panted after him for years. "I'm so sorry for what you want through. I can't even begin to imagine."

Hinata had dealt with trauma victims before and he wasn't even her first POW, but still. She shivers just imagining what could have happened to him. "I'm here to help you get better." She pauses. "I don't know how much help I'll be for the mental side of things, but I can at least get you up and walking and then you could leave the hospital most of the time."

Sasuke peeks out at her again, dark eyes watching her warily. “Then don’t try. You don’t want to imagine that.” If he could do anything, it would be at least to spare her that kind of trauma. “And I wouldn’t want anyone else to either.” He didn’t want to think about the fact that he was in a hospital either, but that was hardly Hinata’s fault.

"I know." She smiles at him. "I missed you." Those beautiful, haunted eyes. Hinata didn't think she'd ever forget the look he was giving her right now. "I won't imagine it then, but I would like you to try to do something for me." The pain in them. The wariness.

“What?” Sasuke desperately hoped that she wasn’t going to embarrass him. Still…if she asked, there’s probably not much he wouldn’t do.

"I want you to try to eat something." She didn't want to make him feel self-conscious, but he had lost a lot of weight. "Even if it's just soup."

Ah, that was all…it would be easier if he had a healthy appetite, he just didn’t want to throw anything up. Unfortunately, his stomach did not agree with his head, as it growls loud enough to fill the whole room.

"I can go grab you something from the cafeteria." She smiles at him. "What would you like?"

Sasuke resists the urge to burrow deeper under his pillow, actually moving it a little further back so that he could see her whole face clearly. “I’m not picky…just…something easy on the stomach.” In the army, you learned quickly not to be a picky eater.

"Okay!" Hinata smiles again. "I'll be right back." As soon as she said that, she scurries off with a nice sway to her hips.

A few minutes later, she comes back carrying a bowl with a water bottle, some vanilla pudding with whip cream on top of it, red jello, and some tomato soup. "Hopefully, you can keep something down, but it's alright if you can't. You kinda need to get some sort of nutrients into your system." And she really didn't want to have to use an IV to do that. Not with Sasuke's justified terror of needles.

Sasuke’s eyes find the hot tomato soup immediately, and he puts the pillow aside, sitting back up and glancing self-consciously at Hinata as he reaches for the soup. He must look like an absolute mess to her.

Not trusting his fingers to hold the spoon properly, Sasuke treats the bowl like a cup, carefully sipping out of it, just a little at a time as the warm liquid trickles down his dry throat. He was probably badly dehydrated, which would explain the headache he’s been sporting for the past…forever. So the soup it was.

Hinata smiles. "That's a very good start." It had probably been a smart move to cup the bowl. His fingers might not be able to hold a spoon steady. "Very good." Though she would have done it for him, if he wanted. That probably would have embarrassed him though.

Sasuke lowers the bowl and glares at her half-heartedly. “I wish people would stop treating me like a kicked puppy.” It was probably, no, definitely rude, but he hated seeing the pity in those soft eyes. He was a survivor, people needed to learn that.

"Sasuke, if we're going to compare ourselves to animals...puppy wouldn't be my first choice for you." She sighs and looks at him apologetically. "It'd probably be towards the bottom of the list really."

“It’s the same look that Kakashi gave me…” He just didn’t want pity. He made his choices, and he would live with them. He did what he knew was right, and nothing would change that. Even if it landed him here. With a pretty physical therapist who made him want to hide in a hole like a teenager with a crush.

"Sasuke, I don't pity you." She sighs and tries to caress his cheek. "I admire you. You're probably the bravest person that I know." The bluenette glances at him sadly. "It's just…I hate that you had to go through that. That's all. And I know that lots of other people are going to feel the same way..."

The praise made him feel warm and fuzzy, but at the mention of others, Sasuke’s gaze hardens a little, but not at Hinata, no, at his bowl instead. “…I’m not going to see everyone else just yet. They don’t know that I’m alive, and that probably hurts them, but I don’t want them to see me like this. Besides, this happened because I made a mistake. That’s the truth of the matter. I can’t stand in front of them again until I’m strong enough. It would be humiliating, otherwise.”

She nods in understanding. "It's alright. You don't have to see anyone until you want to." Hinata sighs and hugs him. "And for the record, you remind me more of a big cat than a puppy. Panther or tiger are the obvious choices, but lion is probably the most accurate."

Sasuke blinks at the comparison as he’s wrapped in a…very nice hug. “I remind you…of a lion?” Maybe a sickly one, he was hardly looking his best. “You’re going to have to explain that to me.”

"Well lions are very strong and they're fast." She smiles. "You've always been athletic." Hinata pauses. "And they’re social animals to a certain extent. They're really the only male big cats that help to raise their cubs at all." Hinata giggles. "Male lions tend to be very close to their brothers too. So that's you and Itachi. They also have very impressive stamina." She probably shouldn't mention that they could have sex three hundred times a day. Apparently, lions invented ‘Quickies’.

Okay, half of that he understood, well, most of it. “You see me as…social?” He’d spent most of high school either just with Naruto, or competing with or against someone. And that was the extent of his social life, really. Naruto often called him anti-social. And the cubs reference, that hit a little below the belt, considering the company.

"Well you're close to your family. More so Itachi and your mother than your father, but it still counts. And you were close with Naruto. So that's kinda social. At least by big cat standards." That and he had joined the military. That was obviously all about working in a group.

“Right. Well, thanks, I guess.” Jeez, even in the military, where honesty was held up as a virtue, Sasuke had never met anyone as earnest as Hinata. His stomach starts to grumble again, so to get his eyes far away from Hinata, he raises the bowl back up and sips at the still warm soup.

She nods. "You're welcome. If you want something a little more substantial, let me know." Hinata smiles. "I figured soft foods were probably best for now."

They were, Sasuke knew that he wouldn’t be able to stomach more than the bowl of soup though. His appetite would take a while to recover, after so long living on almost nothing. He slowly drains the bowl, setting it back down only once empty. “So, I take it that I’m going to be seeing a lot of you over the next month?” After all, if Sasuke was going to be in physical therapy, Hinata would be around keeping an eye on him, right?

"Mhm, and most likely at least semi regularly for a few months after that." The type of physical trauma his body had endured wasn't one that could be cured that quickly. "Unless you want to switch to someone you don't know. I mean I can understand if you would prefer...someone who can be more objective."

Well, she’d already seen him like this, so it’s not like it could get any worse. “No, it’s fine.” Besides, this wasn’t a…that, this was Hinata, she wouldn’t try to hurt him like THEY had done. “…Is there somewhere I can take a bath?” He didn’t know if he could stand through a shower yet, and he just felt really dirty.

"Well..." Hinata really hoped she wasn't blushing. "There are some modified baths for people who might have difficulty showering." It was one thing to offer this service to a patient she didn't know, but Sasuke was Sasuke. "But usually for someone in your situation, a spongebath would be recommended. Since you might not have control of all your muscles and it really doesn't take that much water to drown."

Oh boy. This was embarrassing. "B-But I completely understand, if you want to t-try on your own and I c-can give you an alert necklace, if something goes w-wrong." Oh yes. She was definitely blushing now. "And you just press the red button and I'll hear it and come to help you or someone else will."

Glad for the bangs that hide most of his blush, Sasuke nods. “I think I’ll take the button.” There was no way in hell that HINATA was going to give him a sponge-bath. Not only would that be the most mortifying thing Sasuke had ever had happen to him, but he didn’t want Hinata to see what was still obscured by loose clothing. Namely…the year’s worth of thin, crisscrossing whip marks littering his back.

She nods and places a necklace with a red button on it upon his neck. "You just hit the red button. It's obviously preferred to speak to it and tell us what the problem is." Hinata decides to clarifies further though. "But if you're in extreme danger, just hitting the button is enough."

Sasuke nods, not that he thinks he’ll actually need it. “If I can keep the worst swimmer in my platoon from drowning, I think I can handle a bathtub.”

"Alright. Well there's a bathroom connected to this room." She smiles encouragingly. "It's not that far, but your body has been under a lot of stress. You can lean on me, if you want."

Nodding again, Sasuke pushes himself to the edge of the bed, right next to Hinata, getting up shakily, and staying steady through willpower alone. He glances at the door, about fifteen feet away. He can do it, that’s just five meters. He could jump that easily on a good day.

He’s wobbling by the fourth step.

She stands close to him. "You're doing really well." That was about two steps further than she expected. "Most can't walk at all after going through what you did."

Well, most of them aren’t nearly as stubborn as Sasuke is. Ten feet, nine, eight, seven, six… His legs nearly give out, forcing him to brace himself against the closest source of support. Hinata. “Damn it…”

"That's okay." She lets him lean on her. "You're very close. You can do it."

Another step, still leaning on her for support. Another, he can almost reach out and touch the door frame. One more…was Hinata always this small, or did he grow more than he thought at the academy? Finally, his fingers grasp the door frame, and he leans himself against it, feeling unexpectedly tired after such a short walk. And his leg muscles screamed obscenities at him in protest against their use. He doesn’t listen.

"Great. I’ll just turn on the water for you and you should be all set." She smiles at him as she helps him inside and has him sit down on the edge of the tub. "There were go. I put it on warm." Cold or hot water would probably shock him. "Let me know if you need me. I’ll be right outside." And with that, she leaves Sasuke to his privacy.

* * *

 

While the water had been a bit cooler than he would have liked, Sasuke’s muscles didn’t protest the temperature. It made it much easier to gently and slowly scrub his skin clean, and wash all of the dirt and grime out of his hair. And there was a lot of it, if the change in the color of the water was any indication.

Fortunately, drying off wasn’t as much of a challenge as Sasuke expected it to be, and neither was pulling on a fluffy bathrobe from under the sink. It looked a bit silly, but he’d take it over those hospital gowns any day. And he didn’t exactly have any other clothes around. He should probably ask Itachi to bring him some, as long as the moron promises not to make him want to commit murder.

After the bath, his hair stuck up a bit in the back, in a slightly shaggier version of the ‘duck’s ass’ that Naruto always used to call it. It was…really weird, to put it mildly. Still, it was good to actually be clean for the first time in a year. “I’m done…”

Hinata smiles as she heads inside and offers him her hand. "That's much better." He looked more like Sasuke now. He'd been stunning even underneath all that grime, but now he looked more like he had in high school. "Let's get you back to the bed. I think you deserve some rest after all that." Even the stuck up hair was kinda cute. And she really should not be having these kinds of thoughts about a patient, particularly one suffering from PTSD. He was emotionally and physically fragile right now!

Sasuke rolls his eyes at her antics. “Yes, Mother.” He allows her to lead him slowly back towards his bed, noticing that the book from earlier had fallen from inside the covers.

She shakes her head. "Well you must be feeling better, if you're being so sassy." Hinata smiles as she leans down to scoop up the book that had fallen.

Sasuke’s cheeks burn scarlet at the comment, as well as at the book. Crap. Please don’t look at it…please don’t look at it…

She looks and blushes. "Oh. Um..." This was so embarrassing. "I guess we have similar tastes when it comes to literature." It just had to be THAT book. It couldn't possibly be on purpose, could it?

Sasuke honestly felt like today, karma hated him. It wasn’t enough to put him through a year of hell, now it just had to embarrass him in front of Hinata like THAT. “It’s not mine, I don’t usually read books like that…” Well, he read fantasy, but that wasn’t the point. “My commanding officer is obsessed with softcore erotica. He gave me the book. I started reading it without realizing that…” That he had read part of it before in the love letters she’d accidentally put in his locker.

"Oh. Kakashi is…well, Kakashi." She blushes. "It wouldn't be bad, if you did though. I mean I couldn't judge you. I read it myself. So it'd be hypocritical."

Sasuke was mildly surprised that she seemed to be so familiar with his colonel. But then again, Kakashi was a friendly enough person, and definitely one to make an impression. “Yeah, I know. I read part of chapter sixteen when we were in senior year because of the love letters mishap.”

She blushes scarlet. "I r-remember. You must have thought that I was such a...well, you know." Hinata still couldn't believe she had gotten the wrong locker.

“No, I didn’t.” Truth, one of the kanji on his back shoulder, one of the few places untouched by the marks. Sasuke smiles softly. “I thought that you were a shy, earnest girl who was trying to be bold in getting what she wanted.”

"That's a kind interpretation." Hianta blushes. "Most would have thought it was silly or that I was a..." She probably shouldn't say that word while she was acting as a doctor. "Well, that I was promiscuous."

“Maybe…but I didn’t.” Sasuke sighs as he settles himself back into bed, reaching for the book and flipping it to the last page he read. It would probably help him to sleep.

She smiles. "You were always a lot kinder than you wanted to let on." Hinata sighs. "I think you were just a bit suffocated under all the attention."

“Apparently borderline arson wasn’t enough to scare them off.” Sasuke smirks slightly as he raises his gaze from the pages. “At least as a captain, I get attention that matters.”

She blinks. "Borderline arson?" Wait. Did she even want to know. "Um never mind. I'm glad you found fulfillment in the service."

Sasuke nods “It’s where I fit. And did you really forget the weekly incidents involving me burning stacks of love letters on school grounds? I almost got arrested for it.”

Hinata rubs the back of her head sheepishly. "Oh. Well maybe, it would have been better to wait until you were home to do that."

“And carry a week’s worth of them home?” Did she not realize that Sasuke got at least two dozen a day? “They wouldn’t have fit in my backpack. What would I have done with them? Save them up to make a bonfire?”

She giggles. "You could have thrown them in the school dumpster."

Sasuke considers the point, then shakes his head. “No, not enough to drive the point home. I needed something dramatic.” And though it didn’t work quite as well as he’d hoped, he did get a few less letters on a daily basis.

Hinata laughs. "Well I don’t think that it had the intended effect, but it was a good try." She smiles.

“A good try, it was…” He sighs, sitting there, just enjoying her smile. “…Thank you.”

"Why are you thanking me?" She looks at him in confusion.

A sad, painful smile crosses his face. “For making me feel human again.”


	12. Chapter 12

After five days of more food a day that he used to get in a week, Sasuke was still finding it easier to strengthen his upper body, compared to his legs. Which frustrated him, since his agility had always been one of his best physical points.

Still, determined to see some progress, and forgetting his shame for a little while, Sasuke insisted on going up to the physiotherapy rooms on the seventh floor, where he’d be able to do more than just walk around his room. Not that he’d be taking on the treadmill just yet, but he found an easy step machine that he could brace himself with, and it’s where he found himself most often, moving to some light weights whenever his fragile calves needed a break.

She watches. "You're very determined. I admire that, but Rome wasn't built in a day." Hinata smiles as she watches him on the machine.

Sasuke frowns as his focus divides between taking careful steps with the machine, and listening to Hinata. “I appreciate the comparison, but I’m not the capital city of an ancient empire. Or the empire as a whole.”

"Well you might be Japanese, but you do have an aristocratic face." Hinata watches him carefully. "You would probably look quite nice in the emperor’s robes. Regal really, but you do need to pace yourself."

The frown softens as the corner of Sasuke’s lip turns up. “This IS pacing myself. My usual training is a hundred times worse than this. So really, this is more like going swimming at the beach.” Although, that was an idea. Swimming was a good full-body workout, without so much of the stress. Once he got out of here, he’d have to remind himself to find a pool to swim at for a few hours every day. That would definitely help speed up the recovery. Especially once he got onto a proper, balanced diet, instead of cafeteria food.

"I don't know if you're with anyone now, but I assume not." Hinata sighs. "If you were, she probably thinks you’re dead which is likely why she didn't show up." She pauses. "But when or if you do have someone in your life, she's likely going to have to chain you to the bed for your own good. Just to make sure you get some actual rest."

Now THAT makes Sasuke smirk. “Kinky. But I guess I should have known that from the girl who suggests skinny dipping in a love letter from a secret admirer. But no, I’m not, I’ve been overseas for the better part of the last six years. The only women I’ve been around are in my platoon.”

Hinata blushes scarlet." I d-didn't mean it that way." The bluenette suddenly finds her feet fascinating. "Well maybe, you could have l-liked another cadet or something. W-what's your rank now?" Hinata blushes more. "Though I'm awful at knowing the differences between the ranks. I basically know cadet is new and General is the highest. With Five Star Generals having the most gold stars." Great. Now she was babbling.

Sasuke slows to a stop, leaning on the machine as he watches amusedly when she starts to stutter and babble. “There’s about a dozen non-commissioned officer ranks, the warrant officer ranks, and then there’s the commissioned officer ranks. Five stars on a general is only in active, high-intensity war time, not when regular ops are running. Anyway, in the commissioned officer ranks, there’s Second Lieutenant at the bottom, First Lieutenant, Captain, where I am, Major, Lieutenant Colonel, Colonel, so where Kakashi is, and then you’re into the various ranks of General which usually take about as many years of service as I’ve been alive.”

She blinks as she nods. "I’m...not really sure I'll remember all that, but I think you've earned your General rank." Hinata smiles. "They should promote you...a lot."

It was flattering, but… “No, I haven’t earned that kind of rank. There’s a lot of experience that you need to do that job, and I don’t have it. Yet.” Not that Sasuke wasn’t going to keep shooting higher. After all, if you didn’t count his year from hell, he still had fifteen years left before retiring, at the earliest. Though retiring at forty one didn’t sound too bad. “The next logical step is Major, but I’m fine where I am now for the time being. After all, I need to get back on my feet before resuming active duty.”

Hinata looks at him in concern. "You still want to go back after all this?" She had been mostly joking about the rank thing.

Sasuke’s smile fades a little. “Yes. Even if I don’t go overseas, there are plenty of bases that need staff. Captains do a lot of teaching, not just combat operations. And after Captain, it’s mostly logistics and maneuvering. I guess you could say that it gets safer, the higher you climb.”

"That...is a bit counter-intuitive…?" Hinata blinks at that knowledge. "Well as long as you'll be safer and happy, that's all that matters."

With a sigh, Sasuke lifts himself off the machine and stumbles slightly back towards the closest bench. “I made a mistake…it cost me, but I survived.” Mostly out of spite. “I’m not going to just run and hide because something bad happened. I’m not the first person to be held against their will, and while I don’t like it, I doubt I’ll be the last. I have to pick myself back up and keep moving.” Even if that path was riddled with panic attacks and new, irrational phobias, and a lot of physical and psychological recovery.

Still, Hinata was sweet to worry about him. “It was an accident, bad luck, whatever you want to call it.” It just came with a lot of nasty side effects that he was still trying and failing to get a grip on. Including a very fragile hold on his sanity.

She shakes her head. "You are a really, really stubborn lion." Hinata sighs and caresses his cheek. "I don't want you to dwell on it and never move on with your life, but you shouldn't minimize it. Bad luck was my relationship with Naruto. What you went through is far more than that."

Sasuke’s eyes drift to the fingers caressing his skin. “Itachi would probably agree with you.” His older brother always had said that he was prideful and stubborn. “Hinata, just…don’t try to get inside my head. At least not that part. You won’t like what you find there. I don’t like what I find there.” But forgetting was easier said than done.

"It's not about liking it, it's about helping you get better." She looks at him sadly. "You're not going to until you at least look the demons in the eye. It's never going to go away, but...it gets manageable. So I’m told. And yes, Itachi would agree with me because he's a smart man." She smiles. "And so are you, so you should agree with me as well."

Sasuke’s smirk returns in full force. “Yes, Ma’am. Do you have any other orders for me?” He leans in slightly, towering over her by several inches.

"Yes, you need to get some rest and take it easy." She shakes her head as she looks up at the man towering over her. Alright that was slightly intimidating and in some strange way, exciting, but she was a professional. "Here, you can read your favorite book." She hands him the book and hmpfs.

Sasuke snickers and sits back, turning to the last page he was reading in the sequel. Because apparently, there was more than one of these exciting, but very naughty books. “I can’t believe you’re encouraging me to read erotica. And I thought Kakashi was bad.”

"Well...it's not just erotica." She blushes. "It's not even until page two hundred and twenty that the first love scene takes place!" Hinata blushes more.

“Yeah, it’s a love story that takes a century to bare its ass to anyone.” Not that Sasuke was into erotica. He just liked his idle fantasies concerning a certain Hyuga princess, rather than an elven one.

She hated how easily she blushed. "Well if you wanted something a little more fast developing, I'm sure Kakashi could make some recommendations."

“If there is one thing the army has taught me, it’s this.” Sasuke says it with a perfectly straight poker face. “Never ask your perverted commanding officer for book recommendations unless you want to have an embarrassing problem every time your platoon decides that you’re an interesting subject to watch.”

"Alright. I’ll keep that in mind." She smiles. "Though I don't think I’m ever going to join the army. no offense."

Sasuke shrugs. “None taken. You’ve got someone you report to here, so it still applies. If your boss is a pervert and offers to recommend a book, don’t do it. Your co-workers will all laugh at you.”

"Well that sort of problem is a lot easier to hide if you're a woman." She smiles.

“Yes, lucky women.” Sasuke shakes his head, remembering a couple of the times when the women were…less able to hide said problem. At least he wasn’t the one getting stares those days. “So…I’ve been out of the loop for a while. I know that Naruto was dating Sakura, the last time I checked. Have you found someone better suited for you yet?” He hopes so, a woman like Hinata deserves only the best.

Hinata bites her lower lip and shakes her head. "No. I've...tried a couple times." This was embarrassing. "But it just never...clicked?"

“I see.” Sasuke felt conflicted over the answer. On the one hand, all he wanted for her was happiness. And on the other hand…well, there was a rather selfish part that still fancied the girl who dropped the love letters in the wrong locker. The shy girl who could turn into a seductive siren when the mood struck her. “That’s unfortunate, you deserve someone who can make you happy.”

She smiles. "We all do." Hinata wasn't sure why she was telling Sasuke this. She probably shouldn't because he was Naruto's best friend, but he had other things to worry about. "Naruto was the closest I got. I think I just put him up on a pedestal." The bluenette sighs. "I had fantasized so long, that I don't think anyone could have really lived up to the fantasy my mind crafted."

Hinata crosses her arms and blushes. "It wasn't a vicious breakup. He was kind, loyal, and fun to be around." In a way, it had been like having an adorable puppy. That wasn't romantic love though. "And he was very affectionate. It was just....well I was and I guess I'm still really shy and Naruto isn't the best at reading between the lines. It was nice, but we both deserved more than nice."

That didn’t sound strange to Sasuke. In fact, it sounded almost typical of a middle school romance. “Nice is good as a stepping stone, a tutorial, a trial run, a way to find out what you want. But…” Sasuke eyes her mischievously. “If those letters of yours were any indication, you’re one of those quiet ones who likes excitement, surprises, passion, right?” He wasn’t a genius for nothing.

"I g-guess we all have to start somewhere." Hinata's face probably couldn't turn any redder. "Maybe." Yeah. Her feet were fascinating again. Hmm. Maybe, she should get a new pair of shoes...

It was always the quiet ones, they were the real kinky freaks. Sasuke found it amusing that Hinata, the wallflower who was always so shy, would be counted among them. “Then the next time someone catches your eye, don’t be afraid to ask for what you want. And skinny dipping is definitely a good place to start.” She was so cute, and so much fun to tease…Sasuke just couldn’t help himself.

Her face was likely going to be red for the rest of her life. "I'll k-keep that in mind. I'm just not good at that sort of thing...the asking." She bites her lower lip in embarrassment.

Adorable, absolutely adorable. Hinata made Sasuke think words that weren’t normally part of his vocabulary. “Well, then you can either practice and get better at it, or find someone who can read between lines a few hundred times better than Naruto. Because the idiot may be my best friend, but he’s still an idiot.”

"I don’t want to insult him." She sighs. "But most people would be better at reading between the lines."

“That’s definitely true.” Sasuke’s legs were starting to feel a bit better, which meant that he could make the daily walk back to his room. Provided that he used the elevator. And judging by the time… “Looks like it’s time to head back.”

"Alright." She helps him back down the hall, into the elevator, and then back into his room. "Thank you. I know that it must have been awkward to listen to me babbling."

“It’s fine, you don’t babble nearly as much as the idiot. And you’re cute when you babble.” Sasuke sighs as he sits back down on his bed. “But he’s definitely going to try and tear me a new one when he finds out that I’m alive.”

"He's going to be angry, but he's just as likely to drown you with happy tears or suffocate you with a bear hug as do intentional damage." Hinata smiles at him as she helps him settle back into the bed. "And I’m glad that you don't mind when I babble."

“It’s fine, it helps to fill the silence.” And silence was something that Sasuke had had more than enough of. He was more than willing to talk to people if it meant hearing something other than his own pulse. “…Did you all think that I was actually missing, or just dead?” He wouldn’t blame her if it was the latter. It was a reasonable assumption, even without finding a body. It had been so hot, and he’d been protected by the vents that had collapsed around him, buried under a mountain of them while the explosions took out the base.

"Both...I went back and forth a lot." She sighs. "I think most people did though. I wanted to know that you were alive." Hinata glances at him, feeling more than a little guilty. "At the same time, I didn't want to find out that you were dead later and to have you die twice..."

Ah…hope and denial, two concepts that he’d grown very familiar with. And if nothing else, he was a survivor. “Seems like it’ll take a lot more than an explosion to do me in.” That much was safe to say to a civilian. Sasuke rubs over his cheekbone, where a long, thin, but slightly jagged scar stands out as a light silvery color against the rest of his skin. “I guess I’m luckier than I thought.”

"I guess so." She smiles. "I’m glad that you made it." The bluenette looks away. "I felt guilty. Like I should have tried harder to talk you out of it." She sighs. "Which I know isn't very rational. If your family and Naruto couldn't do it, your best friend's girlfriend wasn't going to be able to."

“No one could have.” Well, except for maybe Itachi, but he gave it a halfhearted effort at best. Sasuke reaches for Hinata’s face, turning her head so as to have those lavender eyes on him again. “But thank you for caring.”

He lets his hand drop away, twitching as violent twinges of pain lance through his back. He was healing so well that it was easy to forget that he’d still been in captivity only a week ago. And the old wounds from the whips hadn’t completely healed. They weren’t bleeding, but they still stung, and the nerves were still settling after long months of firing inappropriately.

"Sasuke, are you okay?" She turned her head back when he reached for her and notices the twitch. "Do you need anything?" Damn it. Maybe, she had been pushing him too hard!

Sasuke shakes his head stiffly. “It’s just some nerve and muscle pain, that’s all.” He reaches a hand over his shoulder, pressing gingerly on the muscles there. “I’m healing pretty quickly, faster than I expected.” Though that might have had something to do with all the injections those crazy people had shot him up with.

"That's to be expected." She sits behind him. "Honestly, your recovery rates are phenomenal." Hinata smiles. "Not that I should be surprised. You've always excelled at everything. So why should healing be any different?" She slowly reaches for his shoulder. "I can administer a therapeutic massage, if you like."

“You do massage?” Well, sure, it was a standard practice in physio, but Sasuke had a hard time imagining someone as shy as Hinata putting her hands all over her patients. Though it did bring to mind some rather…tempting images.

But even if his body was recovering, she’d still see…no, the pain was winning out, even if he didn’t show it.

"Mhm. It's kinda standard in my branch of medicine." She smiles. "It looks like it's just your shoulder that is bothering you, so if you're...concerned about modesty at the moment, I don't even have to take off your shirt."

Sasuke takes a deep breath. Honesty, truth. “My shoulder is all I can reach without setting off another flare. The pain reaches from the lumbar, up to the top thoracic vertebra. And it’s not modesty I’m concerned with.”

"Oh. Well that's alright." Hinata nods. "If you're not shy then it's easier with your shirt off, but it's your call." She didn't want to push him into something he wasn't comfortable with. "If it's not modesty, then I guess you might have safety concerns. It's alright. I’m a lot stronger than I look and you're still recovering. If you have an episode..." She pauses. "Well I can handle it."

That wasn’t it either, but he supposed that there was nothing for it. So, bracing himself against the pain and against her reaction, Sasuke carefully strips his shirt off, revealing not only the tattoos on his shoulders, but the canvas of smooth whip marks all over his back. The scars never raised, which he supposed was a good thing, but some of them were still indented slightly.

She winces. "Well honestly, that's better than I expected." He must have been worried about what she would think of his scars. "Sasuke, you don't have to worry about things like aesthetics or negative reactions from me." Hinata gestures for him to lay down on his stomach. "You're not my first POW patient. And honestly, they’re beautiful in a strange way. So if it's a matter of...worrying if you'll still be attractive to women, you don't have to be." That was generally an afterthought concern to most patients, but sometimes the superficial concerns rose to the top. "Alright?" it was easier to worry about your looks than...some of the other concerns patients were dealing with sometimes. Focusing on the ‘trivial’ could serve as as defense mechanism.

Sasuke laughs wryly as he turns on his stomach and rests his head against his pillow. “Believe me, I could do with being less attractive to women.” Difficult to deter would be putting it mildly.

"I think you're the only straight man who has ever said that." She giggles. "Tell me if it hurts. I'll try to be gentle." Hinata didn't realize that could be taken the wrong way as she slowly starts to glide her hands along the contours of his back.

Sasuke was glad that his face was turned away from Hinata, because it felt like it was on fire. She was so innocent…had no idea how flustered she made him feel. “It’s fine, I don’t really do gentle.” And that sounded even worse, not that he was going to correct himself. Not when her touch felt so…soothing, so sensual.

She nods. "Alright. I guess that shouldn't surprise me." The bluenette's hands continue slowly working out the tension. "Lions aren't usually known for being gentle creatures, but it's alright every once in awhile." God knows what sort of cruelty he had endured. Sasuke could probably use more gentleness in his life. "Have you tried hard yet? I mean are you still sticking to soft foods?"

Damn it, he was trying not to GET hard. “I had Shizune start bringing me bread with my soup a couple of days ago, trying to put on some weight.” He did, after all, still have almost thirty pounds to make up for, and he was only just getting started on that.

"That's a good start." She smiles as she begins working on a particularly vicious knot. "I imagine once your stomach expands again, you'll be starving."

“Yeah…” Sasuke groans quietly as Hinata’s hands work deep into his muscles, coaxing the muscles into relaxing. After all, they couldn’t heal if his body was spending all its energy on keeping them wound up. But damn did that feel good.

Hinata smiles. "You'll be up to steak and tomato salads in no time." She continues trying to loosen them up. "You're safe here. I know that it's hard to believe that, but you are." His muscles were coiled more tightly than a cobra. "You don't have to be this tense."

Steak and tomato salad sure sounded good. Though Sasuke knew that his slight paranoia, well instincts, would serve him better once he wasn’t in a place that made him feel like bolting at every opportunity. He bites back a pained groan as Hinata finds an excruciatingly painful knot. “Haven’t really had a lot of reasons to relax lately…”

"I know. Not a lot of people like hospitals." Hinata's hands slide up and down his back. "But you have to stay as an in patient for at least a little while and after that, you'll just visit for therapy sessions and checkups." Being in a hospital was probably the last place he wanted to be, but she was happy he was here. It was probably a bit selfish, but at least this way she knew that he was relatively okay. Well as okay as anyone in his situation was going to be.

Sasuke sighs into his pillow as Hinata’s soft hands caress his mangled skin. “If I never have to see a hospital again, it’ll be too soon.”

She nods sympathetically. "I know." The Hyuga woman leans over and continues her massaging. Unintentionally brushing her breasts against his back.

Sasuke groans and nearly smothers himself in the pillow. Why did this have to happen to him? Why, of all the physical therapists in the world, did his have to be his high school crush? How the hell was he supposed to behave honorably when she was doing things like this!? Even just by accident!

No, wait, no…she was a civilian, Sasuke wouldn’t drag someone so innocent and pure into his life. No matter how strong she was, some people just weren’t meant to be with someone so…damaged. Who’d been through…

Sasuke tugs on a lock of hair behind his ear, forcibly dragging himself back to the present, and to his slowly diminishing…problem.

Hinata notices the tug. "Do you want me to stop?" That seemed to be his way of trying to deal with an upcoming episode. Maybe, she had pushed too far.

Hinata’s voice makes his muscles loosen considerably. “No, sorry, I just…I was drifting off.” Into a place that Sasuke had no wish to revisit.

"Oh. That's going to happen sometimes." The urge to kiss the back of his neck or his tattooed shoulders was powerful. "Hopefully, those drifts will happen less and less over time though." So many scars and well, she supposed it was only natural to want to make an old friend feel better. An old attractive friend who she definitely should not be responding to in this way. "Anyway, your muscles are loosening up more. So that's good."

She was a professional. "Do you feel any better?" Physical attraction or not, Sasuke was going through a lot right now and when he had encouraged her to ask when she was interested in someone, Hinata doubt that he meant for her to ask HIM. "It should be a bit easier to move now."

Slowly, Sasuke twists himself beneath Hinata, rolling over to push himself into a sitting position, his problem thankfully dealt with thanks to the near attack he had. He twists his spine carefully, flexing the muscles of his back, and feeling only slight twinges of pain, nothing close to what had been lancing through him before. “It is, it’s much easier now.”

Hinata nods. "Good. Maybe we should just add that into your regular routine. " She pauses. "I could work on your legs, if you like."

That would definitely be a benefit, since it would stimulate the muscles without the need for exercise. And Sasuke definitely wanted to be walking comfortably again as soon as possible, then jogging, then sprinting. “That would help.”

She smiles. "Alright. It might just be easier, if you put them into my lap." Hinata wiggles off of him and sits herself on the edge of the bed.

Ignoring the awkward positioning, Sasuke twists his body, not so much that it hurts much, but enough so that his legs lie comfortably in Hinata’s lap. So soft…so caring…and so focused on him, even if he was just a patient. He could see why she wanted to do this, it was very…Hinata.

Hinata nods approvingly as she runs her hands up and down the length of his calves. "I remember that damn dodgeball." The bluenette giggles. "You always were good at kicking and throwing things."

Sasuke snorts softly. “To be fair, I wasn’t aiming for you. You’re the one who decided to dive into the middle of a high school rivalry. It was very…heroic.”

"Mmm it might have been at the time." She massages more. "But I think that heroic is certainly exaggerating it now." After everything that he had been through, it seemed so silly. "And that time you bumped into me."

“Which is partly how I figured out that the bikini you stuffed in my locker was yours.” Sasuke smirks at the memory. “It was like a treasure hunt or a murder mystery, trying to figure out who, of the two hundred girls in our year, wrote a stack of beautiful love notes.”

She blushes. "Only you would be more interested in the academic aspect than the...athletic one." Well at least he had liked the letters. He might not have been interested at the time, but on some level that meant she was attractive to the opposite sex. "I'm glad that you had fun though."

“Plenty of fun, and…a shock when I realized it was you. Imagine, the shy, proper Hinata Hyuga writing such scandalous letters about skinny dipping and being ravished.” And then the bitter disappointment at finding out they were meant for Naruto instead.

Her face was probably redder than the fireworks on the Fourth of July at the moment. "I t-thought that they were rather bold back then, but I suppose as adults they were...rather clumsy seduction attempts." Could her face get any redder? "My family...has an image in public. Though we are expected to have children so...at some point, such things naturally have to occur. Behind closed doors."

Sasuke’s smirk softens at the implication. “I’m sure that if you ever have children, they’ll be just as beautiful as you.”

"Thank you." She sighs. "You should hear my father go on about it though." Wait. That wasn't very professional to talk about. "I'm sorry. You don't need to hear about such things." She smiles and continues the massaging.

“It’s alright if you need to get it out. Don’t forget that you’re not the only one with a demanding father.” Though Sasuke was pretty sure that Fugaku had disowned him at some point, the man was angry, to put it mildly. And now his father thought he was dead. So…yeah, issues.

"It's just in my family, most women are already married by now." She sighs. "To hear my father talk, you would think I was forty-six instead of twenty-six."

Well, Sasuke could clearly see it was the latter, though he was sure Hinata would look just as beautiful at forty-six as twenty-six. “There’s nothing wrong with being a career woman. You can support yourself, for whenever you decide to have children, or not.”

She pauses. She really shouldn't be discussing this with him, but well...she'd accidentally sent him her bikini. "It's not that I don't want them, well usually it takes two people to have a child." Maybe, this wasn't that personal. "Well it always does at least biologically." She definitely shouldn't be discussing reproductive health technology with him though.

Sasuke could read between THOSE lines, but decides not to comment on it. “Well, your father aside, you should do what makes you happy. If it comes to butting heads with him, you should decide on what’s more important. His happiness, or yours. And if that means that you want to wait and find the right partner before having children, then that’s the right choice for you.” He sighs, shaking his head at the memory of the last real ‘conversation’ her had with his own father. “Take it from someone who stood up to their father and won.”

She wanted to ask if he still thought he had won after everything, but thought better of it. "Well, right now he's content since I'm a physical therapist. So..." She'd deal with that bridge when she came to it. "That's a standoff for another day."

“Of course.” And Sasuke had a standoff of his own to look forward to. After all, once he was recovered, Itachi was going to take him to see their parents. The standoff he expected to face there was not going to be a pleasant one.

"I guess we all have our crosses to bear." She probably should have him put a shirt back on. That was getting distracting. "I'm lucky that mine are relatively easy."

“Maybe…” Sasuke didn’t think it was that simple, though. What was easy for one person might not be easy for another. How did one compare degrees of difficulty when everything was individually relative?

Well at least they weren't talking about her clumsy seduction attempts anymore. "I think you'll be out of in-patient care very soon." That should make him happy.

“Good. I’m looking forward to it.” The sooner he was adequately recovered, the sooner he could actually see people. Just…maybe not too many people. Not all at once, anyway. Naruto was a big priority, and so were Taka, and…his parents. Who thought he was dead.

Yeah…this was gonna be an awkward conversation.

She nods. "Good. Let me know if you want me to notify anyone that you're here. For now though, you should get some rest." He really had been pushing himself so hard. She admired his determination, but there were times when it would be good for him to be a little less stubborn.

“Itachi is already on it, but thank you. I’ll be fine.” His brother was a man on a mission, that’s for sure. But Sasuke was pretty sure that Itachi was going to find some way to embarrass him again. It was just a matter of time. The man definitely belonged in the FBI.

"Oh that's good." She smiles. "I'm glad that you two have reunited."

“I just wish that he wouldn’t walk in and embarrass me whenever it pleases him.” Sasuke was already unhappy enough to be here to begin with, minus Hinata’s presence, of course. Itachi really didn’t need to make it worse.

"My little sister is the same way." Hinata giggles. "It's just part of having a sibling, I guess."

“Seems so.” Sasuke smiles slightly, his eyes finding the window again. It was starting to get late, if the color of the sky was any indication. “Looks like it’s time for you to go…” After all, there was only so late that Hinata could stay, even for him.

She nods. "I know. I just didn't want to." Hinata smiles at him. "Just try to get some sleep, alright?" And with that, she heads out the door.

He’d try…but some nights, avoiding the nightmares was impossible. They would haunt Sasuke with images of months past, horrors he wanted to share with no one. Tonight was one of those nights.


	13. Chapter 13

Sasuke picks at his clothes feeling more than a little strange to be wearing civilian clothes. Apparently, Itachi had decided that since Sasuke had grown so much and didn’t quite fit into the clothes still stowed away at their parents’ house, it was the perfect excuse to do a little shopping for his little brother. Itachi also seemed to have a fascination with leather, if the jacket was any indication. Still, it felt weird not to be wearing his combat uniform, and actually looking like a civilian again.

Kind of Freudian, actually.

"Sasuke, stop fidgeting so much." Itachi smiles. "It looks good on you." He knew that his brother would probably never wear anything but his uniform, if he let him. Which…Itachi wasn't going to do. "As much as I'm sure your sexy little nurse, I mean doctor, probably loves a man in uniform as much as the next person, the jacket is very flattering."

A sharp intake of breath, and a tug behind his ear that helped to pull his mind away from bad places. Calm, Sasuke could stay calm. He had to, in order to train himself away from having a panic attack at any given moment. He’d been practicing the last few weeks, doing it every time that he heard certain words spoken outside his door. And at his request, Shizune had left him a paper bag in case he started hyperventilating. He’d used it more than once.

“If you say so…” He still felt weird about wearing it. Not to mention he was not looking forward to his first official visit with someone outside the hospital. Itachi had come to get him this morning, and insisted that the first stop be ‘home’.

Damn. He shouldn't have said the D word. "I'm sorry, Sasuke. It slipped out, but you should probably get used to such things again." Itachi pokes his forehead. "It's okay. We'll just say a certain Hyuga Princess instead." Surely, Princess couldn't be a trigger. "And it still looks good on you."

Sasuke’s cheeks flush angrily when Itachi mentions Hinata. “I know…I’m trying, it’s just…” It was harder than he thought he’d be, hence the annoying ways he had of pulling himself together. They all involve just a little pain.

"I know." Itachi sighs and hugs him. "You're doing amazingly. Most people would have gone completely insane or not be out walking around." He sighs. "Just don't be so hard on yourself."

Leaning his head against his brother’s shoulder, Sasuke closes his eyes, trying to stop the slight trembling. “Kakashi was right…stayed sane out of spite. Didn’t want them to have the satisfaction.” He would rather have died in that place before going insane.

"Well whatever the motivation, it worked." Itachi smiles and holds him. "It's all over now. Well other than announcing your return."

Yeah, the hard part. Sasuke rubs along his scar, taking a step back from Itachi as he looks towards the familiar old house. “…How do we do this?” Sasuke had never broken it to someone that their loved one was dead, or wasn’t actually dead. That was Kakashi’s job. And he’d certainly never done it when the supposedly dead person was him. What if they cam at him too fast and he panicked? What if he hurt someone by accident?

"Well if you want, we could probably have Kakashi ease them into it." Itachi pauses. "He's even better at this sort of thing than me."

“You want to have my childish, perverted, perpetually late commander break it to our parents that their son isn’t actually dead after a year of believing that?” Sasuke raises an eyebrow at his brother. “If you think it’ll work, go ahead and call him…”

"Well he broke the news to me well enough." Itachi glances at him. "He is capable of being a professional some of the time."

Sasuke shrugs. If Itachi wanted to call Kakashi and wait for him to get here, that was fine. He’d probably be more comfortable with his commander around, even if he was the most annoying high ranking officer Sasuke had ever met. “Alright, but expect him to take about twenty minutes.” He’d added an extra five because…Kakashi.

He nods in understanding. "That's alright. They've waited a year. Twenty minutes isn't much in the grand scheme of things." Itachi smiles at him.

* * *

 

Much to Sasuke’s surprise, after the phone call, Kakashi had actually arrived in fifteen instead of twenty. This must have been pretty important to the colonel to merit actually being on time.

Sasuke smirks at the sight of his commander. “I’d say ‘you’re late, Kakashi’, but surprisingly, you’re actually on time, Sir.”

Kakashi chuckles. "Well I think I owe it to them." He messes up Sasuke's hair. "You're looking well."

Sasuke waves Kakashi’s hand away from his head. He’d forgotten how annoying that could be sometimes. “Feeling better. At least I can walk, now.” It had been a hard few weeks, every day going up to the seventh floor, and never without Hinata. The one time he tried to go up the elevator alone, he had a massive panic attack. She’d insisted on coming to get him and dropping him off ever since.

"Always a good sign." He smiles and gestures for Sasuke to hide. "We don't want to give them a heart attack..." Kakashi reasons as he heads towards the door of the Uchiha household. Well, one of them, Itachi had his own place now.

Sasuke makes himself scarce, hiding easily, with the skills he’d picked up after five years of combat ops, but remains within earshot, just in case.

Kakashi knocks on the door and soon the Uchiha parents open it. "Hello." He mentally braces himself because Kakashi was fully aware the Uchihas probably didn't have the highest opinion of the military anymore. "This time...I promise that it's good news."

Fugaku gazes at the colonel with cold eyes, not trusting the man after what was said the last time they were contacted by the army. “And what do you see as being good news? Are you trying to recruit Itachi as well?”

"Well as much as Itachi would be an excellent soldier, he's also a pacifist and I couldn't do that in good conscience." He sighs. "I assure you this is very much real and you might want to go sit down first. Itachi is with me." And so was Sasuke but he wasn't going to say that yet.

The last time that Fugaku had been told to sit down with regards to military matters, it had been to learn that his youngest son had almost certainly died. He was not looking forward to this conversation. However, with respect to his wife, he would acquiesce. “Very well.” He turns back inside the house, leading the way into the living room, and settling Mikoto on the couch.

Itachi follows after Kakashi as Mikoto sits in her husband's lap. She remembered last time and well, she wasn't eager for a repeat. She didn't particularly care what Kakashi might think about her sitting on her husband's lap in front of him. It centered her.

"As you're aware, Sasuke's body was never found." Kakashi pauses. "So he was legally declared missing instead of dead." Mikoto nods as she laces her fingers with Fugaku's. "Well we found the body and everything else. He's still going to have to attend physical therapy and see various counselors for awhile, but your son is alive and he's back." The silver haired man pauses. "And he's here."

Fugaku’s eyes widen. Sasuke was alive? Here? But…if he was in physical therapy, then that meant he was injured. And counselors… “I see…so you lost track of our son in hostile territory for an entire year?” Counselors could mean nothing good. Was he even still Sasuke anymore?

"He sacrificed himself to allow his comrades and the civilians they rescued time to escape." Itachi pauses. "He blew up the base, father. They searched for a body, but they never found one for a very good reason." This wasn't going to be good. "He was taken prisoner. He was a POW for a year."

Kakashi nods in confirmation. "Everything is still...attached. Amongst other physical issues he had a case of muscular atrophy from not using them for so long and he was malnourished, he is putting the weight back on though." The silver haired man looks at them apologetically. "And he's now able to walk again and his spirits seem rather bright considering what he likely went through."

Mikoto gasps and covers her mouth. "He's alive! FUGAKU! HE'S ALIVE!" She didn't know what to say. It was like someone had come back from the dead. All she could do was say, "He's alive!" Over and over again. She was in shock.

Fugaku’s relief is far more subdued. The words torture, PTSD, and discharge come to mind. “Is he being released from active duty?”

"At the moment, he's on medical leave and it's entirely up to him if he wishes to eventually rejoin or to get an honorable discharge." Kakashi sighs. "He's gotten several awards for what he did and he would be promoted, if he stayed. To a ‘desk job’. It'd be a safer position."

Walking silently into the hallway, Sasuke blinks. A promotion? Already? But it was at least a year too early for that, wasn’t it? As for the desk job…well, he knew that Majors usually worked in logistics, so that wasn’t unexpected. Still, he was a little shell-shocked by hearing it come out of Kakashi’s mouth. And wait, awards? He never heard about that.

Fugaku’s eyes narrow. “You do realize that I do not approve of this. It would be best to discharge him, he has more than paid you back.”

"I understand that you don't approve of it." Kakashi puts his hands up in surrender. "And I would encourage Sasuke to take the discharge. His awards and military service would secure him likely any job or admittance into whatever university he wished to pursue or attend." That was the truth. "But in the end, it is his decision."

“And he’s right, it IS my decision.” Sasuke turns the corner, his hand against the wall as he eyes his commander sourly. “And you already know perfectly well what it is.” Like hell was he backing out now. He also doubted that he would be able to adjust back to civilian life in this state. The city spooked him, and the thoughts of an army base were a comfort. No surprise, since it’s been most of his life for the last decade.

His eyes flicker to where his mother sits wide-eyed. “…I missed you…”

Mikoto sees Sasuke and the Tackle Hug of Doom commences. "SASUKE! MY BABY! YOU'RE HOME!" He never stood a chance.

Kakashi and Itachi rub the back of their heads sheepishly. Itachi was the first to speak. "Well that's about what I expected from father...and of course, mother." Poor Sasuke. He was probably never going to escape the Huggle of Doom.

Having caught his mother as she embraced him, Sasuke was still missing about fifteen pounds, and his mother’s hug attack was just enough to bump him hard against the wall. Twitching only slightly in pain, he smiles at the woman. “I’m sorry I went missing. I didn’t expect to have to drop air vents on my head.”

She blinks in confusion. "Air vents?" Mikoto shakes her head. "Never mind. What matters most is that you're home and you're okay." She looks him up and down. "Really skinny, but okay."

Honestly, she sounded just like Hinata. “Don’t worry, I’m gaining the weight back, I promise.” He pats her on the head, almost alarmed at being several inches taller than her now. That was weird. He always remembered his mother as a decent-sized woman. Now, she looked tiny.

Fugaku’s expression remains stern as he rises from the couch. “I hope that you’re not planning on foolishly turning down a discharge.”

Tension builds in the air as Sasuke stares firmly at his father. “Are we going to have this argument again? Because the way I remember it, you lost the last time.”

Itachi sighs. "Father, Sasuke just got back and is still recovering." He looks at him pleadingly. "After being a prisoner of war for a year and undergoing who knows what torture, will you stop being a dick and just hug him or something?!"

Sasuke twitches as a few memories flash before his eyes, tugging inconspicuously on his hair to center himself. “I doubt that he knows what a hug is, Itachi. You don’t have to push it.”

Mikoto gives Fugaku a dirty look. “Fugaku Kenji Uchiha." She growls at him.

Fugaku twitches as well at his wife’s use of his middle name. Honestly, she made him feel like a child again. And if he didn’t want to go through the hell that she had put him through after driving Sasuke off the first time, he would have to…do something.

So, he approaches his youngest son, the one with a dark fire, pain, and fierce, unwavering determination in his eyes. As his wife backs away, he twitches again, before awkwardly wrapping his arms around his son. “I am glad that you are back, alive and safe.”

Sasuke felt…so awkward that he just pats his father’s arm and waits until the older man releases him. So…weird. “…Yes, so am I.”

Mikoto nods. "Progress." Though she would have appreciated it, if they both didn't look so horrified and shocked. "Baby steps, I guess."

Sasuke’s mouth curves into a smirk. “At least he…tried?” But there was something more pressing than his father’s awkwardness. His eyes turn on the colonel. “And what was that you said about a promotion? Isn’t it too early for that?” He still had a couple of years in combat left before he’d be considered for a promotion again, even if he did get promoted twice in only three years.

"You saved the lives of over three hundred people and withstood torture for a year without revealing information." Kakashi shrugs. "The rules can be bent slightly in light of that."

Shock would be putting it mildly. He hadn’t actually known how many people he’d busted out of the cells…over three hundred? He’d just stopped counting people and started counting doors, since multiple people were shoved into each cell. But…this meant taking him out of combat and actually putting him into planning and logistics, maybe even running training programs, after taking a few upper level programs of his own. “I see, thank you, Sir.” He wasn’t quite sure what else to say, it was just…mind-blowing.

"And that reminds me. I have a few things for you." Kakashi grins. "You've earned these. Normally, I’d do this formally, but I think you could use a break to unwind without being crowded." Especially by the media who, of course, would have been allowed to be present at a formal presentation.

As Kakashi holds out a small rectangular box, Sasuke stares at it, reaching for it gingerly before opening the clasp. One, for honorable conduct in captivity, specific for prisoners of war, the other, a Purple Heart, for soldiers wounded in combat.

Sasuke stands there, stunned. Two more decorations, as well as the promise of promotion upon his return to active duty. “I…” His tongue was feeling a little tied at the moment as he closes the box. “Thank you, Sir.”

Itachi smiles. "There's one more." It was a miracle he hadn't chucked it. "I almost threw it out. I was that angry when I thought you were gone, but I managed to refrain." He pulls out another box and presents it to his younger brother.

Sasuke’s eyes widen at the sight of the Silver Star medal in the box. That was definitely not an insignificant award. And he could only suspect one person for getting this for him. “This…is a little overkill, isn’t it?” It was the third highest personal decoration for valor.

Mikoto hmpfs. "After what you went through they should have made it a Gold Star."

Kakashi rubs the back of his head sheepishly. "They don't award those, Mikoto." He coughs awkwardly. "But I can appreciate the sentiment."

Despite his shock, pride swells up in Sasuke, and he smiles. “Thank you, Sir. And I’ll do my best to recover as quickly and completely as possible so that I can return to active duty.”

Kakashi shakes his head. "Sasuke, take all the time you need and if you decide to pursue a civilian life, there really isn't any shame in it." He smiles and messes up his hair again. "As I said, you have earned your rewards."

“Tch!” Sasuke clicks his tongue and waves the colonel off. “Damn it, Kakashi, stop doing that! And if I say I’ll be back, then count on it.” He smirks, despite himself. “After all, someone’s going to need to make sure that Suigetsu doesn’t do something stupid, and I doubt that Jugo has figured out how to handle him and Karin any better.” By now, those two were probably the masters of angry and makeup sex.

"No one is going to prevent Suigetsu from doing something stupid." He chuckles. "It's Suigetsu, and well…Jugo does try to wrangle those two, but it's an impossible task really." Kakashi smiles. "And I can't help it."

Sasuke rolls his eyes and shakes his hair out of his eyes. “Then I guess he just needs someone he’s actually scared of pissing off to set him straight.” A year without him must have relaxed Suigetsu a little too much. Sasuke would be sure to set THAT straight when he got back. Or maybe sooner.

Mikoto giggles at that. "Well I'm glad that at least you had friends with you while you were over there." She really hoped he would take the discharge, but the raven haired woman doubted he would.

“Yeah, I guess you could say that the three of us and Jugo were a four person strike team within the platoon.” And though Sasuke didn’t see them doing those kinds of ops again, it was still nice to be able to think of the team again. “Kakashi, did they come back with you?” Sasuke would rather know just where they were, so that he could pay them a visit.

"They're all based at Fort Hamilton now." He smiles at him. "You can see them any time you like. I haven't told them yet." He sighs. "If I had, they would have already stormed into the hospital or here."

Yeah, that sure sounded like them. Sasuke could definitely see Suigetsu kicking the doors in. “Then, can we go to the base later? You have taken me off the MIA list, right?”

"Yes, I've taken you off the list...but I haven't made the announcement. So it's going to be quite the shock." He nods. "I can only imagine the looks on their faces."

Sasuke’s smirk only grows. “Well, you won’t just have to imagine the looks on their faces.” They were going to see them firsthand. After all, hadn’t Suigetsu said something about kicking his ass if he died, well, he wasn’t dead. And it was time to show the dumbass that.

He chuckles. "Indeed. Only when you're ready though." Kakashi smiles at him. "You're walking, but I’m not sure you're ready to face hundreds of tackle hugs."

“Then I’ll let those three hug me, and then we can tell them that I’m still injured and that they should ease up.” Sasuke grimaces at the thought of how much Jugo’s hug is going to hurt. “Besides, none of them hug as hard as Mom. I should be fine.”

Mikoto smiles. "Well you two got your strength from somewhere." Another proud smile.

Kakashi chuckles. "Of course. Well when would you like to tell them? Or is that off in the distant future?" The silver haired man looks at him expectantly.

Sasuke takes a deep breath and looks to Kakashi determinedly. “That depends. How long is it from here to Fort Hamilton?”

* * *

 

It had been over a year since Sasuke last saw his three teammates, though it felt longer. And it was even weirder to be pulling into an army base while he was still in a civilian’s getup. But he doubted that anyone would give him any trouble when he was with the colonel.

Still, it was his first time at this particular base, and everything was so foreign and familiar at the same time.

Kakashi smiles. "While every base is at least slightly unique, the overall structure doesn't change much." He drives them into the base. "Are you sure that you're ready for this?"

Sasuke nods. He felt like this was going to be easier than seeing Hinata or his parents. This place felt…safe, familiar, comforting. He thought that it would, but only confirmed it now. “Yeah, I can handle this.” There were so many buildings that he found himself wondering which one or one his friends were in.

"Alright. This is going to be very intense." He sighs as he helps Sasuke out of the car and heads to one of the many, many buildings. "Brace yourself. This is the building that Taka works in. Well for the most part." He does a fingerprint scan and the door opens.

“I think I’ll be fine.” The inside is clean and orderly, as expected, and the first floor has an open lobby, with offices that handle dealing with civilian contractors. Sasuke follows Kakashi up a couple of flights of stairs to the third floor, where the offices are presented very differently, with something like a command center in the middle of the floor, and open offices ringing the edge.

And up here, unlike downstairs, there’s no shortage of noise. Not that Sasuke expected any different, considering that more than just Taka was in here. Was this the platoon’s building? And…well, he hardly called this working, considering that Karin and Suigetsu were arguing. Again.

Sasuke stands back as the chaos ensues and their arrival goes unnoticed by the many officers watching amusedly as Suigetsu and Karin half wrestle, half…almost make out?

Jugo shakes his head. "You two should have just called off, if you weren't going to be able to focus." Kakashi chuckles at that.

"Ahem!" He glances at Sasuke, like it's your time to shine. "I have some important news. So if the two of you could focus for a moment, that'd be greatly appreciated.”

Karin grumbles at the arrival of the colonel, barely glancing at him out of the corner of her eye. “This idiot keeps insisting on giving me all of his paperwork so that he can goof off and try to grope me!”

"Pft." Suigetsu shrugs. "She acts like she doesn't like it and she's better at that stuff anyway." He seemed to find that a suitable excuse.

Sasuke rolls his eyes and walks towards them, stopping ten feet from the scuffle and crosses his arms over his chest. “Suigetsu, knock it off. You’d think that you would have stopped trying to shove your homework on her while we were in high school. Or is this how you two like to get the angry sex started nowadays?”

Suigetsu's eyes widen. "Karin, how hard did you fucking hit me?! Is that Sassy or am I fucking hallucinating!" He tackle hugs him. "Oh my God! It really is him! Him and he's back! Back with the Princess hair and eyelashes and everything!"

Karin squeals and joins in the tackle hug. "Sasuke!!!"

And Jugo wasn't far behind. And when a gentle giant decides to throw his weight around, well you aren't going anywhere. "You're back!"

Sasuke grins, cringing slightly. “Easy on the back, I’m still wounded.” The massages had helped, sure, and the nerves had calmed for the most part, but it would be a while before they could take hard impacts. Jugo definitely counted as a hard impact. “Hey…I missed you guys. And I DON’T have Princess hair.”

"Yes, you do. You damn Princess Bastard!" Suigetsu grins. "Not that I'm complaining, but um how did you go all Zombie on us?" He looks at Karin uncertainly. "You don't think he's going to try to eat our brains, do you?" He was pretty articulate to be a zombie.

Karin shakes her head. "It's him. He's warm and his teeth are normal." She beams at him.

Jugo smiles. "Well you do have very nice hair, Sasuke." The orange giant smiles softly at him. "It's so good to see you again.”

Sasuke grumbles, rolling his eyes, though his mood can’t stay dark long while he’s all wrapped up in his team. “It’s good to be back. Well, it’ll be good to be back.” He glances at Kakashi for a better explanation as to what's going on, since he's kind of fuzzy on a few of the details.

Kakashi smiles. "Sasuke is currently on medical leave." He sighs. "He's a stubborn son of a bitch though." He glances at Sasuke apologetically. "Sorry, it's an expression. Your mother is a perfectly nice woman. Your father…well his bedside manner is a bit lacking. Oh where was I?" He pauses. "Right. Right. And since he's so stubborn, he's probably going to take the promotion offer when he's better and join the three of you here."

Well, that was one way of putting the situation. “Yeah, that’s the plan, anyway.” He just had to get through the mental stuff mostly. That was going to be the hard part. Still, this was a good place. Sasuke manages to extract himself, mostly, from his team and face Suigetsu. “First things first, where’s the closest pool?”

Suigetsu looks at him in confusion. "Well we have one on base for training." He cocks his head to the side. "Why do you ask?"

Karin frowns at the two of them, before wrapping her arms back around Sasuke and hissing. “Sasuke, how much weight have you lost?”

Sasuke’s eyes darken a little. “More than is healthy. I’ve gained back some of it through physio, but I’m still down about fifteen pounds. It’s why I thought that a pool would be a good idea.”

"Right. Well I'll show you to the pool." Suigetsu smirks. "It should do you some good and I’m sure the hospital will approve. This is supposed to be really good physical therapy." He drags Sasuke off and the rest of the group were left a bit blindsided as they followed the duo off.

* * *

 

This wasn’t the hospital, these weren’t civilians, which is why Sasuke felt more comfortable changing into swim trunks for swimming. Everyone here knew that their work was dangerous. They wouldn’t be bothered by the scars. Okay, well, except maybe the people who worry about him, but most people wouldn’t bat an eye at it.

Lowering himself carefully into the water, Sasuke holds onto the side of the pool as he finds his center of balance. The last thing he needs is to hurt his own pride by needing Suigetsu to stop him from drowning.

Suigetsu watches him carefully. He definitely wasn't going to let his friend drown. Not after everything he'd been through.

Karin acted as another spotter, staying out of the water while Suigetsu slips in with Sasuke. Of course, she was a medic, and had seen a lot of injuries, but still, the sight of Sasuke’s back made her want to cry. And there was an old bullet wound scarred over on Sasuke’s arm, not to mention the gash on his face that could have blinded him in one eye, even killed him if it had gone through to his brain. What the hell had happened to him?

Jugo places a hand on her shoulder comfortingly. "Try not to stare or cry." It would only make Sasuke feel uncomfortable. "The important thing is that he's safe now." The giant was surprisingly good at whispering.

Kakashi watches all this warily. Well at least he wasn't attempting it alone. Still he wasn't entirely sure Sasuke was up to this.

Sasuke takes a deep breath, the cool water soothing his slightly aching muscles. This was good, he could tread water easily enough. He wouldn’t be doing laps with Suigetsu any time soon, but he could at least hold himself up. But, seeing as he didn’t trust himself to be able to react in time, he turns over to start doing slow laps back and forth in a backstroke, measuring each pace with his breath.

"That's a great start, Sassy!" Suigetsu tries to encourage him. "I mean you're never going to be as awesome as me, but you're still pretty good."

Sasuke resists the urge to roll his eyes, since that would throw off his balance. “Shut up, Suigetsu.”

"Don't tell me to shut up." He smirks. "You know that it's true."

Sasuke glares half-heartedly at his friend as he passes back by Suigetsu on his fourth lap, slowing to a stop and floating for a few seconds before turning over and righting himself, hair tamped down by the water. “If you’re so awesome, then what was that about how if I died, you were gonna kick my ass, huh?” It might have been said in the heat of the moment during their last mission, but Sasuke remembered those words well. “Lost your nerve because I’ve been…” He couldn’t say it, that place. “Recovering for a month?”

"Well you're alive. So technically, I didn't have to kick your ass!" Suigetsu shrugs like it was the most logical thing in the world. "So there, Sassy. Unless you like getting beaten up, of course."

Sasuke narrows his eyes at his friend. Oh…he wasn’t the one who was going to get beaten up. “When I can fight again, you and I are sparring.”

He laughs. "Sure, Sassy. Whatever you say." Suigetsu winks. "Not even on your best day are you going to beat me."

“Dream on, idiot.” Though, speaking of idiots… Sasuke still had to break the news to his best friend.


	14. Chapter 14

Naruto was hanging out with Hinata. He hadn't seen her in awhile. He knew that she was trying to hide something from him. "I'm not gonna push ya about whatever is bugging you, but I’m here when you do want to talk about it. Was it one of your patients though or that creep?"

Hinata hated lying, but Sasuke just wasn't ready to tell Naruto. "Naruto, he has a name." So she'd just tell the truth, but not the whole truth. "And yes, Doctor Yakushi has been...well I don't think he understands that I'm not interested in dating him."

Naruto growls under his breath. That damn doctor, always sticking his nose where it isn’t wanted. The guy was an S-Class creep, that’s for sure. “Hey, just let me know if the guy does anything to you. I can totally arrest his ass!”

She smiles. "Thanks, Naruto. He's smart enough not to do anything illegal though." That and Hinata had made sure he knew that she was a black belt in Karate. One of the perks of being a Hyuga was you were trained in self-defense. "He'll give up eventually."

“Right…” Naruto wasn’t so sure about that, the guy was seriously freakish. And he was pretty sure that the guy had been a teaching assistant when they were freshmen back in high school. He was creepy back then, too, mostly by being way too friendly. “Anyway, you said that you were meeting someone later, right? You’ve got a shift today. Is it a patient?”

She nods. "Yes, it's a patient." Hinata pauses. "I can't tell you too much because of patient confidentiality." Which was true.

“Yeah, alright. But they’re not being mean to you, right?” Naruto knew that some patients could be awesome, and others were just whining assholes. He didn’t like it when Hinata got stuck with the latter. Sakura typically just clocked them with her medical skills. Hinata was too nice to put them in their place.

She blushes and shakes her head. "Definitely not being mean." That was one thing Naruto didn't have to worry about.

Hinata was blushing. Hinata was blushing? “Whoa, Hinata, are you crushing on your patient!?” Sakura had been making him watch a lot of medical dramas lately so that she could point out everything wrong with them, and that seemed to be a recurring theme. The…what was it…Florence Nightingale? That kind of situation? That’s what Sakura had said, and Hinata’s cheeks were all pink. Logic, right?

The bluenette gulps. "It's...complicated and I really c-can't say anything about it because of the Patient Confidentiality laws." Oh God. She was going to die of embarrassment. "Anyway, h-how are things on the force?" Maybe, she could change topics.

She didn't think that was too likely, but it was possible. There would be nothing more awkward about talking about the man she was currently attracted to with her former lover, who also happened to be his best friend. His best friend who didn't even know Sasuke was alive yet!

“Huh? Oh, everything’s fine. There are a lot of cases coming in lately, which means that some of the feds must be slacking. They usually nab a bunch of our cases.” Usually, Naruto hated having cases snatched, but something just seemed…off. “Maybe Itachi’s on vacation or something.”

He’d made detective a few months ago, and mostly worked as part of a homicide team. It was fun sometimes, and they could talk about all sorts of crazy theories about how people died, not that the dying part was nice or anything, it’s just that some of the theories could get pretty comical. And if there was ever a moment when the coroner’s report didn’t make sense, Naruto would just go home to Sakura and ask her about it. She usually had answers for him. His best contribution to the team was his instincts. If someone was guilty, he knew it, if someone wasn’t, he knew that too. If someone was supposedly guilty, but actually innocent, he could tell the difference. He just…knew. And it helped to keep a few innocent people out of prison. If his instincts tingled, they went back to work.

She blinks. Hinata couldn't believe that actually worked. "Oh well that's good." She smiles. "I'm glad that things are going so well for you."

“Yeah, I guess.” After all, Naruto had a lot of world-saving to do, what with Sasuke still missing. Had to pull the bastard’s share of the weight until he got back.

Then, he hears a sweet jingle, and stares down at Hinata’s pocket. “Text message?”

"Guess so." She smiles and reads the text message. "This shouldn't take longer than a minute or two." It was probably her father or sister.

**_Are you busy? ~ S_ **

**_Out on a lunch date with a friend. Is something wrong? I could come get you, if you need me or if you just wanted to hang out. ~ Hinata_ **

**_No, it’s okay, I just wanted to know if you knew where Naruto was. ~ S_ **

**_Yeah. I know where he is. Do you want his number? ~ Hinata_ **

**_I don’t think that this is something to do over the phone. And if I ask Itachi, he’ll probably track Naruto’s cellphone and go all FBI stalker over it. If he’s busy, it’s fine, I’ll try another day. ~ S_ **

**_Well he's kinda...sitting at the same table as me. It's not...a date. He just likes to check on me sometimes and we're still friends. ~ Hinata_ **

**_…Do you think that you being there would stop a war from breaking out? He’s going to kill me when he finds out that I’ve been back over a month and haven’t told him. ~ S_ **

**_Um I don't know really. He'd probably just try to nudge me out of the way, but I could try? ~ Hinata_ **

**_Then do you mind if I drop in? ~ S_ **

**_I don't mind. We're at the Ramen Shop. And I know, Naruto hasn't changed since high school. ~ Hinata_ **

**_The Ramen Shop? I can be there in fifteen minutes. I was just swimming with Suigetsu. ~ S_ **

**_Oh that's good exercise for you. I'll be waiting. ~ Hinata._ **

Naruto blinks at Hinata, who’d gone quiet for almost five whole minutes. “Hey, are you okay? That was a lot of texting, is there an emergency?”

She adverts her eyes from his. "Well it's a good thing, but please don't be angry. I invited another friend to join us." Hinata felt horribly guilty about keeping it a secret from him, but it was Sasuke's decision. Not hers.

“Huh?” Naruto tilts his head. “Why would I be angry? The more the merrier. Is it Ino? Kiba? Shikamaru? Or is it someone new?”

Hinata sighs. "None of them, but not someone new either." She bites her lower lip. "He’s been back a month, but he needed time to get better first, Naruto. He just didn't want anyone to see him until he could walk on his own and stuff...please don't be angry." She looks at her feet. "You'll see what I mean in a few minutes."

Naruto was perplexed by the cryptic clues. Who needed time to get better? Why couldn’t he walk? This was a guy? Why would he be angry about it?

After what felt like the longest fifteen minutes in history, a pair of footsteps draw closer, piquing Naruto’s interest. Was this Hinata’s mystery friend? The one who got hurt and couldn’t walk?

The mystery guest approaches slowly, Hinata getting the better look at him first. Sasuke smiles softly at her as he comes into Naruto’s line of sight, his breath nearly stopping as he takes in the sight of his best friend for the first time in more than a year. “Hi, Dobe.”

Naruto's eyes widen. "S-Sasuke?!" He looks at Hinata in shock. "Hinata, are you seeing what I’m seeing or am I hallucinating?" Was it possible that he had eaten some bad ramen or something? There was no way that could be the real Sasuke, could it?

Naruto looked like he was going to slug Sasuke. "YOU DAMN BASTARD!" The blond was furious as he had a right to be. "I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU MADE ME THINK YOU WERE DEAD FOR A MONTH LONGER THAN I HAD TO!" He had his fist raised for a punch, but Hinata managed to catch it. Not easily though. It was obvious the blond had far more muscle than she did.

"Naruto, stop! Everyone's staring!" She winces. "Just let him explain!"

He slowly lowers his fist. Probably more out of guilt for having accidentally hurt Hinata to a degree than anything else. "Well you better start talking, bastard!" He couldn't believe this. Sasuke was alive and hadn't told him that he was back for a fucking month!

Sasuke nods slowly, controlling his twitch at the mention of the hospital. He was getting better, slowly. “If it makes you feel any better, until a week ago, Kakashi, Itachi, and Hinata were the only ones who knew that I survived my last mission. Plus, I guess, whoever found me.” This was a long story, and he couldn’t tell all of it, because…clearance, even Naruto didn’t have the needed clearance to hear that. And he definitely didn’t want the whole restaurant to hear it. It was bad enough that they were staring. It was making him anxious. “And…I didn’t want anyone to see me lying in bed, not even able to walk across the room. So we held off on telling anyone.”

"I would have!" Naruto actually growls at him. "God dammit, Sasuke!" He sighs. "I'm glad you're back, but as soon as you're better...I'm gonna have to kick your ass for all this."

The ass-kicking aside, since he still wasn’t in any shape to take Naruto on, Sasuke sighs. “But I didn’t want you to, Naruto. Kakashi…was necessary, Itachi was support, and Hinata seeing me was an accident.” His eyes flick to his physical therapist. “She got assigned to me when I got back. But apart from my parents and my platoon, well, they’ve probably gossiped enough that now the whole base knows, no one else knows that I’m back. You…were on the list of people to see first once I could walk again. I’ve only been walking on my own for a week now.”

Naruto grumbles, but seems pacified. "And here I thought Hinata was into one of her patients." He rolls his eyes. "She was apparently just worried that I'd have a fit when I realized what a bastard you are, but I forgive you and it's okay Hinata. It's not your fault."

“Thanks…” Sasuke breathes out slowly, not realizing that he actually had stopped breathing while waiting for Naruto’s verdict. Then, he smirks. “But it would be pretty bad if you had to arrest yourself for assaulting a ranking military officer on medical leave. Imagine the scandal.”

Naruto glares. "That's fighting pretty damn dirty." And Sasuke knew it!

“I see it as preserving your honor by making sure that you don’t fuck up.” Sasuke crosses his arms, still smirking away. “And I’ll be able to make sure that you behave from now on since I’ll be in Brooklyn for the foreseeable future.”

Naruto tilts his head. "Why Brooklyn?" He didn't get it. Fortunately, Hinata apparently did.

"They have a military base there." Hinata glances at Sasuke. "He's probably crazy enough to resume active duty, once he's better and gotten transferred."

“That’s not all…” Though Sasuke didn’t appreciate being called crazy by Hinata, of all people. “I’ll be moving up into logistics, planning, and training when I go back. It seems that the colonel has it in his head to promote me early. So…I won’t be seeing combat again, at least, not unless things get really messy.”

"Which is the only reason why I don't just handcuff him to one of the beds at work for his own good." Hinata crosses her arms in a quiet huff.

Sasuke raises an eyebrow at that, his mind going straight into the gutter. “Kinky, but alright. I’m sure you’ll find another reason to do it.”

She blushes scarlet and Naruto blinks. "Bastard, quit teasing Hinata!" He shakes his head. "You know that's not what she meant!"

“Maybe.” Sasuke knew that Hinata was into some…interesting things, and she’d once suggested handcuffs to Naruto, in front of him. So it’s not like she’d never thought about it. “Though there’s no need to worry about it or cuff me to a bed, I still have to complete four months of mandatory weekly psychotherapy, as well as the rest of my physical rehabilitation. So I won’t be up and about causing trouble for a while.”

Naruto shakes his head. "Yeah! Well be a good patient for Hinata!" He smiles at her. "Don't let the bastard push you around! Show him who’s boss!"

Sasuke’s cheeks burn a little as he contemplates just how much Hinata might actually like to get pushed around. But…not by him. “Stupid Dobe. I behave myself plenty.” Not that he wanted to…

"Sure you do, bastard!" Naruto rolls his eyes. "Anyway, I'm glad that it's Hinata and not some random woman. They'd probably try to jump you with a spongebath or something."

Sasuke shudders at the thought. “I’m sure that some of them would have tried.” Thankfully, he hadn’t had a spongebath while conscious at least, he wasn’t sure about before he woke up. “Hinata is very good at what she does, even if she worries too much.”

"Someone has to." In Hinata's opinion, Sasuke didn't worry enough. "If it was up you, you'd probably be trying out for the Olympics."

“I doubt that.” Sasuke had no interest in the Olympics, training and ops were more than enough for him. “I know my limits, and trying out for the Olympics would be impossible like this, if I had an inclination for it in the first place.”

Hinata nods seemingly satisfied with this answer. "Good." At least he had SOME limits on himself.

“Swimming in the base pool with Suigetsu on a daily basis, however, is doable.” Sasuke was quite proud of the progress he was making. His stamina was far from what to used to be, but he was slowly building it back up as his muscles got stronger.

"You are quite possibly the most stubborn man that I have ever met." Hinata shakes her head. "But I suppose…a little swimming is okay."

Sasuke nods. “As long as Suigetsu and Karin aren’t skinny dipping.” He did not need to see that again after yesterday’s ‘incident’. How those two haven’t been reported yet, was unknown. But Sasuke figured that everyone just humored them.

Hinata blushes again. "Y-You're never going to let me live down the skinny dipping thing, are you?" Naruto chuckles and pat pats Hinata's shoulder comfortingly.

“Well, no, I’m not, but I was serious about that one.” Sasuke wrinkles his nose. “Naruto, I never want to see THAT much of your cousin ever again.” Or his friend, for that matter.

Naruto shrugs. "You act like I have any control over THAT!" Controlling his cousin? Yeah right, like THAT was possible.

Sasuke watches his best friend with amusement. “So…I guess that’s it. I just…wanted to come and see you. And preferably walk away alive from the encounter, which is why I asked Hinata if she’d mediate this.”

Hinata nods. "That's true. He was pretty terrified." She giggles.

Sasuke shoots her a glare that turns out more like a pout. “I wasn’t terrified, I just…expected him to try and punch me in the face.” Which almost did happen, so it was a perfectly valid fear.

The bluenette laughs and smiles. "Mhm. Of course." It was nice to have the upper hand for once.

“I wasn’t!” The pout withers, but before Sasuke can roll his eyes or smile, a twinge of pain makes him twitch. Maybe he’d pushed himself a little too hard today trying to do two whole hours in the pool before walking from Itachi’s apartment. His hand snakes towards his left shoulder, massaging the sore muscles there.

"Sasuke, are you alright?" She looks at him in concern, noticing the twitch.

“Yeah, just sore.” Sasuke knew that he was healing quickly, he just wished that it would go a bit faster. These random bouts of pain were really annoying, and seemed to choose the worst times to crop up.

"Well if you want, I could always give you another massage." Hinata offers and Naruto blinks at that.

A massage?! What was he missing here?! "Wait. What?!" The shyest woman that he had ever met was offering the bastard a massage?!

Hinata blushes. "Therapeutic, Naruto! THERAPEUTIC!" She didn't even want to know where his mind was going.

Okay, Sasuke saw that he was going to have to step in here. “First of all, not in the middle of a restaurant, and second, it’s part of my physical therapy, Naruto.” Honestly, the idiot hadn’t become any less dense while he was gone. And Sasuke was NOT taking his shirt off in public.

"Well...I figured we could go back to my place or yours." Hinata blushes and then she realizes that could be taken the wrong way. "Y-You know what I mean!"

Naruto blinks. "Right. I forgot the bastard is completely asexual. Anyway, let's head back to Hinata's place. It's closer."

Sasuke resists the urge to cuff Naruto over the head, more though because it would hurt him more than Naruto. “Fine.” But he wasn’t going to correct the assumption on his sexuality, no matter how WRONG it was.

* * *

 

A few minutes later, they were in a cute Victorian mansion. While it was definitely on the upper end of the scale, it was modest compared to what Hinata had grown up in. "Make yourselves comfortable." Hinata smiles as she leads them into the living room.

That was probably because presumably, she lived alone. It was a nice living room with ivory white walls, an oak wood floor, and a plush baby blue couch with a coffee table and TV in front of it. Oh and a fireplace. That was a nice touch. Here and there, there were some house plants and paintings. Mostly nature scenes.

When Sasuke took in everything around him, he had to admit that it was definitely very…Hinata. Well, at least, it was the shy Hinata. Elegant and innocent, very cozy and warm. Soothing is the word that came to mind. He liked it here. It was the opposite of what he was used to, but he liked it here.

So, making himself comfortable meant finding a spot on the couch where he could lean onto an armrest and take some pressure off his back. His aching muscles thanked him for the decision.

"I can get you some pillows, if you want." Hinata smiles at him. It was amazing that he was up walking around like this already. "Naruto?" She blinks. Hmm…where did Naruto go?

A few minutes later, the answer became clear. He comes out with a bunch of coffee. "Figured the bastard would like a decent drink for a change!" He grins. "I'm assuming the asshole still likes straight black?"

Sasuke rolls his eyes and takes the cup. “Yeah. And pillows would be nice.” They would probably help relax his muscles a bit more if he didn’t have to work to keep himself straight.

He reaches for a cup and blows on it. He would have to be careful, since the caffeine was a stimulant, and he didn’t want to stimulate his nerves too much. Still, Sasuke liked the rich taste on his tongue as he sipped slowly at the hot coffee.

Hinata nods and heads up the stairs. A few minutes later, she comes back with a few pillows. "Hope these are okay." Mostly of the silky or old fashioned fluffy white variety.

Sasuke nods as he puts down the coffee and takes the fluffy potential weapons. After all, he wouldn’t put it past Naruto to hit him with one. Spreading them out on the couch, he slides off his jacket, hesitating a moment with his shirt. No, this was Naruto, he wouldn’t say anything stupid, not for something like this. And just like every other time this past month, he slides it over his head and lays face down on the pillows, breathing deeply to calm himself.

She smiles and starts massaging him as if it was the most natural thing in the world. "That's better." Hinata was shocked he was willing to get the massage in front of Naruto. He must have been in a lot of pain.

Sighing, Sasuke’s muscles slowly start to relax under her touch, and he sinks deeper into the pillows. Her fingers were heaven, they had to be. Touched by Midas or something. And despite the initial pain of the touches, the slowly building relief was what he looked forward to the most.

Hinata nods approvingly. "That's better." Fortunately, Naruto hadn't said anything yet. She could only pray that would remain the case. "They're looser than when we started anyway."

“Muscle memory…I’ve gotten used to it.” Sasuke had gotten a lot of massages from Hinata while laid up for a month, so he knew her touch very well and responded instinctively to it as her fingers ran over the scars.

"How many massages have you given this guy?" Naruto blinks. "And why is he being a bastard, if he's getting all those massages anyway?"

Hinata shakes her head in exasperation. "Naruto, he's my patient. I don't know a dozen maybe?"

“Sixteen, actually.” Sasuke’s gaze drifts over towards Naruto. “And it’s a gift.” Seriously, it was. Without his ability to be a spiteful bastard, he would have shattered completely in that place.

He blinks. "You actually counted?" Naruto blinks again.

“Yes.” How could he not, he was bored half to death in that place. “Apart from teaching my body how to walk again, there wasn’t much to do but lie around reading, eavesdropping, and counting things.” Well, and training himself out of panic attacks.

Hinata shakes her head as she continues the massage. "Well you do seem in much brighter spirits now." She smiles.

“On the outside…” But that’s what the psychotherapy sessions would be for. And Sasuke’s first one was in two days.

"Well if you need to talk about the inside, I’m here." She smiles and massages more. "And so is Naruto."

If only it were that simple. “Neither of you have the clearance needed to know exactly where I was or what I was doing, the mission, the deployment, or its specific details. What I can tell you is what I shouldn’t tell you, and not only is it dark, but I don’t know if I even remember half of it.” And it was killing Sasuke. His memory was vivid, but a blur. The events were perfectly clear, if sometimes void of important details, but the timeline was…fuzzy, at best. Time has no meaning when you’re locked in a room without a clock, or even daylight. He slept when he could, was woken whenever they liked, whether it be an hour later or a day later, he didn’t know. His sleep was never restful, so he couldn’t tell if any time passed while he slept, if he slept.

She sighs. "It's okay, Sasuke." Hinata rubs his shoulders. "We understand. You don't have to tell us anything that is classified or that you don't feel comfortable discussing."

He scoffs quietly. “And exactly what part of it is supposed to be comfortable to discuss? The whipping? The injections? Or being locked in a pitch black room for…” He didn’t even know how long he was in there at a time, only that it was apparently not as long as it felt. Still…that touch felt good on Sasuke’s shoulders, right on the skin displaying his tattoos.

Hinata sighs sadly. "Sasuke, you know what I meant." Without thinking about it, She places a soft kiss on his shoulder.

Sasuke shivers at the touch, inhaling sharply, before shrinking a little. “I know…” He removes one of his arms from the pillows, turning it over to reveal a purplish vein standing out starkly against his ivory skin, permanent scars from small puncture marks and the precise work of scalpels that cut into his skin too many times to heal. “Don’t ask me what they put in me or might have taken out, because I don’t know.” He stares at the scars apathetically. “I was usually in too much pain to even think about asking.”

Naruto decides it was probably in his best interest to give them some alone time, so he wisely heads upstairs. "Sasuke, I"m so sorry." Hinata stares at the scars in horror of what they had done to him. "No one should have to go through that."

“No, but some of the injections must have helped in the healing process, because most of the injuries from…” Well, his sense of time was skewed so maybe… “The last six or so months, I think, aren’t there anymore. They sealed up completely.”

"Oh well that's good." She didn't want to think about what else the injections might have done. "Well your bloodwork came back surprisingly normal considering everything." Hinata wanted to offer him some sort of reassurance.

“Whatever they were injecting me with stopped near the end. So that’s probably why.” At that point, he just assumed that they were going to kill him, since they couldn’t get anything out of him, and his body nearly gave out after their last injection. But no, they just kept trying the old-fashioned way. And he wasn’t sure if he was lucky or not that the whip marks ended up covering the burns.

"They were sadistic, Sasuke." Hinata doubted words would ever be able to convey the full horror of what he had experienced. "They can't hurt you anymore though." At least not physically, mentally was another matter it seemed.

“I know that.” Sasuke’s fists clench as his body shudders with pain long past. “Logically, I know that. They’re thousands of miles away, locked up or dead, and they can’t touch me.” But his body still remembers the pain, the fear, the instinct to hide and shrink away, even as his conscious mind had resisted every tactic they tried to use. “But…” His lungs seize up for a few seconds, making it hard to breathe. “There’s things I don’t remember. And I don’t know…what will happen if I do remember. I don’t know what I’ll remember.” And that ignorance…it scared him.

"Don't think about it then." She sighs as she caresses his cheek. "It'll come back naturally or it won't. If you try to force it, you'll be opening yourself up to a lot of potential pain. Pain that may be unnecessary." Her heart ached for him.

Just talking about it was almost enough to send him into some kind of attack. "It's common for POW and other victims of traumatic stress to black out parts of it. That might not have anything to do with what they did exactly, more like your mind was trying to protect you. To shut off the pain." She caresses his cheek more. "To make it slightly more bearable. At least, for a little while."

Sasuke closes his eyes and bites his lip for a brief moment, before turning over to lie on his back and look up at Hinata, the sight of her preferable than seeing his own memories. “Then it failed, miserably.”

"I don't think anything would have worked completely." She sighs as she looks down at him, eyes filled with concern. "You made it out with your sanity, Sasuke. Most people wouldn't have."

“…Sometimes I wonder about that.” He did wonder if his sanity was still intact. Still, he couldn’t let this destroy him, he wouldn’t. He would try his best to crawl out of this hellish pit, for the sake of his pride, and so that she wouldn’t wear that look on her face anymore.

"Sasuke, you're perfectly sane." She sighs as she straddles his hips and looks down at him. "If you were truly insane, you wouldn't be sane enough to worry about whether or not you were sane. If that makes sense?"

Sasuke stares up at her, eyes widening at the position. She was sitting on top of him, why was she sitting on top of him? Wait, she was saying something about…right, if you’re insane, but recognize that you’re insane, then you’re actually sane, not insane. “Uh…yeah.” She was making it REALLY hard to resist kissing her, and not the only thing. But resist he would, because this did not count as consent. Mixed signals maybe, but not direct consent.

"If I had known all I had to do was straddle your hips to make you such an agreeable patient, I would have done it sooner." She giggles.

…Yeah, definitely mixed signals. Straddling his hips in a very sexual way, and yet…giggling because she’d gotten him to behave. He knew what she liked, but that didn’t mean at all that she wanted HIM to be the one to do it. And she shouldn’t, considering what was wrong with him. Did she KNOW what she was doing to him?

The expression on his face would've been quite comical at any other time. And to a degree, it still was even now. "I know that I probably shouldn't. You're still in a very fragile place." Still, she didn't think that it was right to play mind games with him, even if they were unintentional. "But you said that I s-should practice asking. So I'm a-asking." The bluenette blushes and bites her lower lip nervously.

There she had said it. She had said what she had probably been thinking about unconsciously for a few years now and even more so since the Hyuga woman saw him in the hospital. "If you...want to and o-obviously, we wouldn't do anything you aren't comfortable with. Besides, we can't do much more besides kiss now. N-Naruto is upstairs, but he has really good hearing and there is a c-chance that he could walk downstairs."

And that was consent. Well, Sasuke knew for a fact that although it was possible to think with both heads at the same time, that kind of thing was very, very difficult. His pupils dilating, a smile curls his lips as he reaches up to cup the back of her head, fingers tangling in long midnight blue locks as he pulls her down into a fiery kiss. At the back of his mind, he knew this was a bad idea.

The rest of his mind didn’t give a fuck.


	15. Chapter 15

Hinata hadn't actually expected him to say yes. "Mmpf!" She had expected him to let her down gently by saying that he wasn't ready for a relationship now. Which would have been a very valid reason to turn her down, considering everything he'd gone through. Maybe, even to say she shouldn't be involved with a patient, but she hadn't been prepared for the feeling of his lips against hers.

That or for him to cup the back of her head and run his fingers through her hair like that. There really wasn't any faking that kind of desire. She finds herself moaning into the kiss and trying to return it with equal fervor, though her own movements were naturally more shy and coaxing. There was nothing shy about his though. Definitely not shy.

She was soft, smelled good, her weight felt really good on top of him. Her lips were soft too, and they tasted good. Lip balm? Tasted like vanilla cupcakes. Carefully, or as carefully as his desire-addled brain would allow, he flips them over, pressing her into the pillows and holding himself just off her body as he deepens the kiss.

Hinata hadn't expected that, but she probably should have. She shivers with excitement at the aggressive move. Well maybe, assertive would have been more accurate. By her standards it was aggressive though. "Mmm." She sighs in to the kiss as she returns it. God, that felt good. She tries to arch against him instinctively, but he was just a little too far away. That didn't matter though. All that really mattered was kissing him.

Sasuke’s eyes flutter open just a hair at the movement, and he smirks into the kiss as he snakes an arm around her, pulling her body up to meet his as his tongue maps out her mouth, memorizing every corner. Huh, it tasted like vanilla in here as well. Maybe it wasn’t lip balm then. Maybe she just tasted like that naturally.

She blushes at the smirk that made her shiver, but in a good way as Hinata returns his kiss. He tasted like dark chocolate. "You kiss with your whole mouth." Well it had sounded far more profound in her head than it came out, she muses.

Wanting to cover that minor error up, she runs her fingers through those dark spiky locks and continues kissing him. That had sounded stupid, but one thing that definitely wasn't stupid was the way he kissed her. Like everything else in his life, he kissed with a ruthless precision. That almost made her forget they weren't home alone.

Resisting the urge to chuckle at her observation, Sasuke found that he was definitely in his happy place, one that he hadn’t even known still existed in his mind. But Hinata definitely qualified as a happy place. Her touch kept him in the moment as fingers tug on his hair. He wanted to push, just a little further…and his fingers find the hem of her shirt.

Hinata either didn't notice this action or she wasn't in the mood to protest. She shyly glides her tongue along his. How long had it been since she had last been kissed like this? Far too long. If she was being honest, never. It was one thing to kiss and use your tongue, it was another to be be kissed like someone was actually trying to devour you.

Fingers traveling upwards, Sasuke glides his hand across Hinata’s skin, pushing the shirt up and out of the way as he reaches up towards her breasts. Uncovering them, he breaks the kiss to press one to her throat, then another, and another…traveling down as he slides her shirt the rest of the way up, planting a firm, but tender kiss on top of each soft mound.

She blushes, but makes no protest. It felt too good to protest, especially when he kisses her neck and breasts. "SERIOUSLY, WHAT THE HELL?! I LEAVE YOU FOR FIVE MINUTES AND YOU'RE TRYING TO JUMP HINATA?" And...suddenly she was rather grateful for the lacy lavender bra covering said breasts.

Not that Naruto hadn't already seen everything, but it was the principle of the thing. "N-Naruto!" She squeaks and feels her face burn bright red. The reddest red of her entire life probably. "He wasn't trying to j-jump me!" Alright, maybe that was kinda a lie. "Well...he m-might have been, but I gave him permission." That was important. "So it's o-okay." Hinata couldn't believe this. She felt like a teenager whose brother had caught her getting to second base with her boyfriend or something!

Sasuke twitches, pulling the shirt back down to cover Hinata as he convinces himself that murdering his idiotic best friend would not be worth the court-martial. He hadn’t even heard the idiot coming downstairs, which only proves just how into it he was. He should really be more vigilant, even off active duty. “…Naruto…you are officially WORSE than Itachi.” Not only was he now mortified by what Naruto had walked in on, but his frustration was soaring to ever higher levels.

Naruto blinks and then grins. "I'll consider that an honor." He looks at Hinata and then back at Sasuke and then back at Hinata again. "I guess...I kinda knew subconsciously, there might have been something going on. Not that Hinata would ever cheat, but...you were a little too into the letters." He sighs again. "And she was never that open again, after we got together."

Hinata blushes. "Naruto, I'm sorry." She must look like a truly horrible person. "I didn't plan for this to happen." Making out with her ex's best friend...while said ex was in her house. "It just did, but I don't regret i-it." Lying about it would have been even worse though.

…Those damn letters…if it hadn’t been for those damn letters…they’re what started all of this, this huge spiral into insanity, thanks to him falling for the girl who wrote love letters to his best friend. Sasuke buries his head in Hinata’s hair, hiding his face from his best friend. “Can this possibly get any more humiliating…?”

That’s when his phone goes off in his pants, and he lethargically pulls it out, glancing at the screen to see who is texting him. Itachi. “You have got to be joking…”

**_How did it go? Did you tell him yet? ~ Itachi_ **

Hinata blinks. This...was just ridiculous. "Sasuke, can you tell your brother that it went well?" She turns her attention to Naruto. "And do you mind...giving us some time to talk about all this? I'm sure we'll both tell you more later." She just wanted to be alone with the man who had just kissed her senseless and not have to deal with her ex and his brother. She liked Itachi, but right now he had the worst timing!

Sasuke twitches, sitting up and typing out his response quickly.

**_I didn’t get successfully punched in the face. So yes, it went well. Now bugger off, because I’m turning my phone off, asshole! ~ Sasuke._ **

God, his brother pissed him off sometimes!

"Um right." Naruto gives Sasuke a pointed look. "Be nice to her bastard!" And with that, he scurries off because someday, he would like to have children and he was worried about potential castration.

Sasuke’s glare follows Naruto out the front door as he shuts his phone off. Seriously! He didn’t know who was worse! His brother, or his best friend! They both screwed with his life for kicks!

Once the door slams shut, Sasuke sags back on the couch, covering his eyes, a furious blush rising right to his ears. “How is it…that two of the people who care about me the most…have such GOD AWFUL TIMING!?”

"I have no idea." She takes out her phone and sends off a quick global message saying she was turning off her phone for the night and promptly locks the doors. "That should be better."

“Good plan…” Seriously, if the people in his life had awful timing, chances were that she had people in her life too that had timing just as terrible. Now though…he just felt so awkward, like all of his growing up had disappeared, and like he was a teenager again.

One who had been poisoned with a potent darkness.

Hinata blushes. "So...um now that we're actually alone, I guess it's safe to say that you feel the same way." At least on a physical level. Maybe, he was just reaching for whatever comfort he could find. If that was the case, she couldn't really blame him.

He glances at her with slightly incredulous eyes. “Against my better judgment, that would be an understatement.”

"I know that it's...very bad timing." She wasn't THAT naive. "And there are likely at least a million reasons why this is probably a bad idea, but then you kissed me that way and...I forget about them."

Sasuke sighs, the blush leaving his cheeks. “No, there isn’t a million reasons. There’s really just one.”

She sighs and wraps her arms around his neck, resting her head very lightly on his shoulder. "I know, but I'm willing to try...if you are." Hinata glances up at him with hopeful lavender eyes. "I could think of a few ways to distract you from...your demons at least for a little while and when they come back, well we could face them together."

Her warmth…felt good. But still…he was talking about his demons, not hers. “…You shouldn’t have to face my demons…” Sasuke wraps his arms around her loosely, reveling guiltily in her warmth. “I’m a mess, and you deserve better than to have to deal with that.” No matter how much he wanted to hold on…he knew that he shouldn’t. He knew that…but…

Hinata snuggles against him. "It would be one thing, if you didn't want me." She looks up at him again. "If you just didn't feel that way about me, I would understand and I wouldn't push." Hinata was fully capable of realizing when her affections weren't wanted. "But you do want me. So shouldn't that be my decision? Shouldn't I be the one to decide what b-better is to me?"

Sasuke sighs. Truth, honesty. “Yes, I have for a very long time. I just don’t want you to get hurt because of me.” And he was certain that what was inside him was going to hurt her. Either directly, or by seeing him suffer through it. One way or another…

"There are a lot of ways to hurt someone, even unintentionally." She brushes her lips against his. "I think that knowing that you feel the same way and that we didn't try would hurt me more than trying and having it not work out."

Sasuke wasn’t so sure about that, doubts flying about in the back of his mind. But…he didn’t want to hurt her. And after so long, he really didn’t want to let go. She was his light in the ocean of darkness. “You’re sure, then.” It was half statement, half question.

"I'm sure." She burrows against his chest. "I mean...I did just send my ex boyfriend away so that I could secure more a-alone time with you." She figured that was kinda a big thing. "Which s-should tell you something."

Reassured in ways that defy explanation, Sasuke can’t help but chuckle at that. “It tells me that you’re crazy. But…considering that my own sanity seems to be in question…” He squeezes her tight, grinning as he pounces. “I think I can handle a little crazy. And kinky, since you seem to be into that.”

Well that was a start. He was chuckling and not in a mean way. "I guess we're all a little crazy in our own way." She squeaks at the pouncing. "And that's good." Hinata blushes at the last part. "What makes you say that?" Skipping dipping might have been scandalous by high school standards, but they were grownups now.

Sasuke smirks as he remembers a rather particular conversation at the end of their high school days. “Well, you seemed to have an interest in handcuffs, that told me a little something, though lately, you seem to be threatening me with them. Not to mention the erotic reading and the willingness to go skinny dipping at age seventeen despite being a ‘prim and proper Hyuga Princess’.” The noise at the back of his head starts to drown out a little as he leans down to nip her earlobe. “Or are you telling me that you’ve suddenly decided to go vanilla, like the taste of your kiss?”

She was going to try to defend her prim and properness, but that kinda died on her tongue when he nipped her ear and smirked that way. "I g-guess maybe a little. I mean...what flavor do you like for everything after kissing." Hinata feels herself blush as she couldn't believe she had asked that.

“You.” This time, he showers her with kisses slowly, deeply, tenderly, but with a fire consuming his bones. Vanilla, again, and it suited her so well, along with the scent of lavender to match her lacy bra. Hm…he wondered if she was wearing a bottom to match.

She smiles at the answer. "Well…you have me. I was thinking…more specifically." Hinata moans into the kisses, allowing herself to enjoy them before continuing. "I mean...you've kinda glimpsed into a couple of my fantasies, but I don't really know anything about yours."

Sasuke slows to a gentle stop, smiling mischievously. “Well, I’ve got a few, some of them would definitely get me into trouble. Though I do have to admit that I hope that when I go to Fort Hamilton that my office is soundproof. I would probably have the whole platoon blushing if it wasn’t.”

She blushes crimson red. "Wouldn't you get kicked out of the m-military for that?" He had to be joking about the office thing, right?

“Probably not. My platoon has their own building, and if Karin and Suigetsu can get away with it in the middle of the third floor while Kakashi is watching, I don’t think he’d mind me being more discreet.” Sure, it was a risk, but only if he was stupid about it. Maybe punished a little, but not nearly severe enough to get someone with his flawless record kicked out.

He had put a suspicious amount of thought into this. "Oh. Well good." While Hinata would have taken the discharge, she knew that it was unlikely Sasuke would. "I wouldn't want to be the reason you got kicked out." The military meant too much to him.

Sasuke rolls his eyes amusedly. “I HAVE learned how to be discreet, you know. It’s a requirement for covert operations.” Honestly, she was acting like he was GOING to get caught doing something bad. “I wouldn’t have made it this far if I didn’t know what I was doing.” As if that could only be taken one way.

She blushes at that last part. "G-Good to know." Office fantasy. It was a common one, but for a good reason. "Well maybe I could indulge you." Hinata shyly kisses his cheek.

Kissing his cheek…so sweet, even if she knew that getting involved with him was a bad idea. So, Sasuke smiles as he leans down to nuzzle softly against her neck, pressing their bodies tightly together as he presses feather-light kisses just underneath her jaw. “Beautiful…inside and out…”

"Mmm." She sighs in contentment. "So are you." That felt nice. Well after everything he'd been through, if things went well...then yeah. "Don't forget that, okay?" Hinata could be with him in his office. After all, he had said it might be soundproof. So that was good!

“Maybe…” He doubted that, but still, if that’s what she saw, who was he to contradict her. Sighing, Sasuke lifts himself off of her, leaning over to the side as he lays himself on some of the pillows. Yeah, his stamina was definitely not back to normal yet. Not that he expected it would be, but he’d kind of hoped it would take longer before his muscles started protesting again. Still, he strokes his thumb across her cheek, gazing at her fondly. “I never told you, did I? What I thought of those love letters…”

Hinata smiles and leans against him as they both lay on the pillows of the couch together. "You are and well not specifically." He'd made some references to them and teased her about them, but he hadn't really said what he personally thought of them. "Why?" Mostly about how not Hyuga-like her actions had been. Which they hadn't.

“I liked them, they were fun, different to the ones I always got of girls just throwing themselves at me. I liked being able to solve the mystery, it was like a game, a chase. And for the first time, I found myself taking more than a superficial interest in someone.” He pauses, smiling sadly at the memories. “And then, when I found out that you’d meant to put them in Naruto’s locker…” He’d been crushed, that one little hope stomped out mercilessly. “I realized that it was more than an interest. So I backed away, before I could cause you two any problems.”

She kisses his forehead. "You've always been such a martyr." Hinata sighs. "I was so embarrassed that I got the wrong locker. I thought that you would hate me to be honest or that you would laugh at me." The bluenette caresses his cheek. "You were so understanding that day."

“I’m a survivor, martyrs end up dead.” Still, his heart had been broken that day, and it took Sasuke a while to admit it, even to himself. “And I couldn’t hate you, either of you, even if I tried. I decided that if that’s what made you happy, I would give you the space you needed with him. I would be there, if either of you needed me, but I would take a step back. Because otherwise, my jealousy would have gotten the better of me, and I would have done something very stupid.”

Hinata kisses him. "Well it was still very noble of you." She smiles at Sasuke. "And you don't have to be jealous anymore. That and I've never really known you to say anything stupid."

Sasuke snorts, rolling his eyes. “That’s because, unlike some people, I know how to stop talking before I put my foot in my mouth. And you should know that I am an extremely jealous person.” It’s one of the things the army hadn’t beaten out of him, along with his stubbornness and his pride.

"Mmm that's okay." She strokes his bicep. "That just means you care and as long as you don't...kill anyone or put them in intensive care, that shouldn't be too big of an issue." She smiles at him.

“Well, it’s a bit stricter than that, but for the most part, I have it under control.” After all, he had a different set of rules than she did. He had to be much more restrained in how he dealt with people. Though…intimidation was certainly a tactic he could use.

Hinata nods. "I'm kinda surprised you chose to join the military." She lifts his hand slightly and kisses it. "You strike me as the type of person who likes to be in control and the military is all about following orders."

A smirk rises to his face as he pulls her hand closer and plants small kisses along her wrist. “Once you’re up high enough in the chain of command, you get to give all the orders. Besides, Kakashi…he gives me a lot of freedom to make calls on my own. He trusts my judgment. And that was worth a couple of annoying years taking orders from people I didn’t like. I had to suck that up before getting a commander I could take orders from and not resent. Even if Kakashi is a flake who can only be punctual when the world is ending.”

She laughs. "Yes, but you didn't know you'd get Kakashi." Hinata smiles. "You knew you were going to be bossed around for awhile."

“Well, I’d rather take orders from people trying to teach me something, who follow a certain code themselves, than from someone who barely even knows who I am.” He doubted that his father knew the first thing about his hobbies, or his talents, or anything really. The man had always been focused on Itachi.

She traces her fingertips over his collarbone. "Mmm I guess that makes sense." Hinata definitely detected some bitterness there, but decides not to press. "What about me? Would you take orders from me?"

Now that makes Sasuke smirk, pushing his darker thoughts away. “Well, I suppose that depends. Would they involve handcuffing me to a bed? Because I seem to recall you having an interest in that.”

Hinata blushes. "They might." He was never going to let her live that down. "You don't seem particularly adverse to such things."

“Well, not so long as you don’t protest when I return the favor.” He’d been bound before, but if there was an…erotic purpose for it, he doubted that he would have any particularly nasty flashbacks. “With some…caution, though. I don’t think it would be a problem, but I’m not sure how I’d react at first.” And the last thing he wanted to do was hurt her if it turned out that it was a trigger. Though he still doubted it.

"Oh right. Um maybe, it would just be safer the other way around." She snuggles against him. "At least for the immediate future anyway."

“Yeah…one demon at a time…” They could test that out later. For now, he just wanted to be able to move his body properly again. After all, he’d be taking on the subjects of his nightmares next. The psychotherapy was looming.

She nods. "Besides, you're probably better at that sort of thing anyway." Hinata blushes more as she indulges in more snuggling. "And I should be a good girl anyway."

“Only in public.” Sasuke smirks into her hair. “And even that is optional.”

"My skin is forever going to be red around you." She just knew it. "That's something you're into? PDA?" Hinata didn't know, if she trusted herself enough to say exhibitionism.

Sasuke hums softly. “Just desensitized to it. When you work, eat, and sleep around the same faces for five years, you don’t really mind what they see anymore. As long as it isn’t really indecent.” After all, there wasn’t really much that the people he worked with didn’t know about him. Lying was frowned on, so most of the platoon knew each other’s dirty little secrets.

Hinata nods. "Well that makes sense." She didn't know whether to be relieved or disappointed. "So not a fetish then."

“Not in particular, but if it’s something you like, I think I could indulge you somewhat.” After all, he did have some limits. Public indecency was a quick way to get a reprimand, even if Kakashi was a total pervert.

She probably shouldn't be discussing such things with him on a first date, if this even counted as that. "I haven't really thought about it much before. So not really." Hinata blushes. "Though I guess there's a part of me that wouldn't mind showing you off...at least a little."

Well, Sasuke was still having some issues with walking around in public. Too many people, but no silence at least. Even if they didn’t know who he was, yet, he was pretty sure that the media storm was going to hit soon. After all, his return had been announced to the military a week ago, and he was just making sure to inform his friends before anything went public. Naruto would probably see to informing everyone, in fact, Sasuke wouldn’t put it past the idiot to be doing precisely that right now.

Still, he could indulge Hinata a bit. “Well, it’ll have to wait until after the storm hits, things calm down, and I’m better around large crowds of civilians, but I don’t see why not.” At least then, it would send a clear message that hitting on her…was a bad idea.

Hinata cuddles to him. "Alright. I didn't mean right away." She rests her head underneath his chin. "That wouldn't be very fair to you."

Sasuke hated feeling so weak, but he nods anyway. “I’ll work on it, I promise.” It was going to be hard, but he wanted her to be happy. That meant pushing through all of the pain first.

"I know. It's a silly thing anyway." She smiles. "Just a childish notion. It doesn't really matter. You should probably get some sleep." Hinata blushes. "Do you want to stay the night?"

“…That would probably be a good idea.” Not only would he have Hinata near, in case something happened, but he wouldn’t have to put up with Itachi’s questions when he got home. Itachi was smart, he’d figure out why Sasuke wasn’t coming home. And if he couldn’t…well, then why the fuck was he in the FBI?

"Did you want to sleep on the couch?" She could understand, if he wanted to not move. He had to be in a lot of pain. "I have guest rooms and if you want...well I do have a queen-sized bed." The bluenette couldn't believe she had mentioned that part. It was outrageously bold.

So tempting, and yet…Sasuke wasn’t entirely sure if it was the best plan. “I’d like to…but I’d likely wake you up in the middle of the night if I slept in your room.” Nightmares. Very rarely did Sasuke sleep through the night without vicious nightmares plaguing his mind.

She smiles at him reassuringly. "It's alright. I shouldn't have asked on the first night we were together anyway. So guest room or couch is fine then." Honestly, her hormones needed to get control of themselves. A few heated kisses and she had asked him that?!

He nods. “I should be able to get to one of the guest-rooms just fine.” He really was kind of tired, and definitely hadn’t been sleeping well. He’d likely fall off the couch if he had an attack.

"Alright. Well if you need help, let me know." Hinata touches his shoulder softly, rubbing gently along his neck.

“I will…” Though he’d indulge in holding her for a few more minutes. The nightmares could wait.


	16. Chapter 16

Taste of blood. Pain. Hoarse screaming. Voice lost. Body on fire. Burning from the inside out. Cold. Water? Ice. Shivering. Can’t breathe. Going numb. Voices. A voice? Just one? Who? Can’t breathe. Who? Hands on his skin, squeezing, not hurting. Drowning. Can’t breathe. Can’t breathe. Can’t-

Air, gasping for air. Air!

Sasuke’s eyes shoot open. The room was still dark, with only a few small rays of light pouring in. There was a voice in his ear, but everything was an incoherent mess as his heart pounds violently in his chest.

Luckily for him, Itachi was already there with a paper bag. "It's okay, Sasuke." He holds the bag around his little brother’s mouth and nose. "Breathe. It's okay." Sadly, this was becoming something of a habit.

Sasuke raises shaking hands, sealing the bag as he breathes quickly into it, the oxygen concentration in his blood slowly dropping as he breathes into the bag. It happened again. Sasuke had been working on controlling his panic attacks while conscious, but there was still nothing he could do about the ones that start while he’s asleep.

"That's better." Itachi nods approvingly. "Your recovery time is speeding up a bit." That was a good sign, he supposed. What wasn’t good was the sheer intensity of these nightmares.

Sasuke’s eyes flicker, the pupils contracting again as his brother’s face comes into focus. Itachi. Itachi was here with him. He was safe. He was safe… But, still shaking, Sasuke lowers the bag from his face, breathing much more slowly now. His throat felt sore. Had he been screaming in his sleep? Had he lost his voice again?

Itachi offers him his now somewhat customary glass of water. "It's alright." He makes sure to place the drink by his lips. "Have a drink."

Carefully, and letting Itachi keep a firm grip on the glass, Sasuke tips it, letting the cool liquid slide down his throat, soothing it a little. He must have woken Itachi up again. It wouldn’t be the first time. The last week and a half at Itachi’s apartment had been…difficult, to put it mildly. But somehow, his brother had calmed down by the second day, quickly learning to anticipate when something was going to go wrong.

"That's better." He sighs. "I assume that you don't want to talk about whatever it was and that's okay." He wasn't going to press. The fact that Sasuke seemed normal enough eighty percent of the time was rather impressive. "Are you feeling any better?" Itachi didn't want to press his luck, because it was the other twenty percent of the time that you had to be careful about.

Sasuke finishes the glass, the water swirling uncomfortably in his unsettled stomach. “Not really.” Yeah, he must have screamed, a lot, judging by how hoarse his voice was. “I woke you up again, didn’t I?”

"I was already awake." He smiles. "And you don't need to worry about such things. It's only natural to have nightmares."

Oh, Sasuke knew it was natural, but that didn’t mean he had to like it. “What time is it?” If Itachi was already awake, and not at work, it must be pretty late in the day. That, or Sasuke’s sense of time was still skewed. Which was entirely possible.

"Hmm just after one." Itachi hands him his phone. "You got a message. This one should brighten up your day considerably." He smirks.

Just after one. That meant that his first appointment was in three hours. A message? Sasuke blinks, reaching for his phone and bringing up the text.

**_I thought you might like blue for something new this time. ~ H_ **

It was a light blue swimsuit with white straps in the back holding it up. It wasn't quite a bikini because it was strapless at the top, but the front had a matching blue bottom that was a rather soothing shade, and some white straps over the hips, presumably to make sure that no wardrobe malfunction occurred.

Sasuke smirks at the sight of the swimsuit.

**_I don’t think Suigetsu would mind too much if we borrow the base pool from him and Karin. ~ S_ **

After sending the text, it occurs to him that Itachi not only saw the original text, but watched as he sent the reply. “Not a word, Itachi. Not a damn word.”

Itachi chuckles. "Well I suppose that it is a little harder to burn a love text than a love letter." The letter H gave him a pretty good idea who it was. That and the design of the swimsuit was one that only a few women could pull off successfully. "She's smart to just send the suit picture and not herself in it. Her father would likely kill her if he knew she was even considering wearing that."

Sasuke twitches, lunging at Itachi. This bastard was gonna pay.

Itachi blinks and dodges. "Foolish little brother." He smirks. "You didn't think that I was going to let you hit me, did you?"

Sasuke growls as he picks himself up from the floor. “You’re lucky I’m still recovering.” If he hadn’t, Sasuke knew that Itachi would have been on the floor in an instant.

"I suppose so." Itachi smirks more. "It seems that I’m not the only one who is lucky though. As much as I admire the ambition, I do think that you should wait until you've progressed a little further in your physical therapy before engaging in such strenuous activities." He glances at the phone again. "Though I can certainly see why it'd be tempting to throw caution to the wind."

Sasuke twitches again, his cheeks flushing angrily. “You’re also lucky you’re not worth the trouble I’d get into for murdering you.” Some days, he loved his big brother with everything he had. Other days…he wanted to throttle the prick.

He smiles. "A doctor as well. There are so many delightful scenarios. I'm actually impressed." It was too much fun not to tease him. Besides, Sasuke definitely wasn't thinking about whatever he'd been having nightmares about only a few moments before. "She is a pretty little thing. Don't worry, I won't tell mother."

Sasuke bites his lip, fingers tugging just behind his ear in an instant. That word, for just a second his breath stutters in his chest…and then the panic fades away. Good, he was getting better at this. The words only caused short flares of panic now. The actual objects on the other hand…well, they caused varying degrees of panic, though less and less full-blown anxiety attacks. “Tch, you asshole…it’s none of your business what I do with my physiotherapist.” Not doctor, no, physiotherapist. Safer, much safer. “Besides, you forget that I did kindergarten to twelve with her. She’s not just there to help me recover.”

"Sasuke, I'm your brother." He smiles. "It's my sacred obligation to meddle in your love life." Itachi nods somberly. "Well I suppose since you knew her K-12, it's acceptable that she is sending you suggestive pictures. I wouldn't want my baby brother to move too fast." He grins evilly. "And I suppose it's like that song. She's your therapist. Who says that laughter is the best medicine?" This was too much fun. "Clearly, sex is."

The phone rang. He had received another text message.

**_That sounds like fun. I've been thinking about you ALL day ;) ~ H._ **

Sasuke smirks at the text, before filing it away and putting down the phone. Then, he glares at Itachi. “I’m not sleeping with her, Itachi.” At least, not yet, he wasn’t. “And I’m not your BABY brother.” Not anymore…not for a long time.

"Well not yet." Itachi smiles. "But she obviously would like to change that." He pokes Sasuke's forehead. "And no matter how old you are, you'll always be my foolish little brother."

Grumbling as he rubs his forehead, on the receiving end of such a childish gesture, Sasuke heads for the door, intending on going to the bathroom. “Whatever. I need to shower. I’m meeting the therapist today.” And he hoped that whoever it was, they were certified, vetted, and had a lot of clearance, otherwise this was going to be very unproductive.

"A cold shower, I suspect." He smirks as he watches Sasuke go. "Ah they grow up so fast. It seems like only yesterday, he was trying to play Hide and Go Seek with his fangirls." And Sasuke had always been the hider in that case.

* * *

 

Hinata was at work. She probably shouldn't have sent the texts she did, but they were only signed by the first letter of her first name and it wasn't anything particularly scandalous. Though the implications might have been. At the moment, she was speaking with Konan. Konan wanted her professional opinion about Sasuke since she had been working with him for a bit. "He's still...working on facing everything, but most of the time he's in control and it's usually something that he can be snapped out of relatively quickly."

“I see.” Konan nods, expecting as much. “Are there any triggers that I should be on the lookout for?” She didn’t know the patient personally, but she had heard of his reputation. Stubborn and proud, to be sure, but with a good head on his shoulders. Intelligent, strong, a stable moral center. And from what she’d been told by the colonel, determined enough to resist what was likely high levels of daily torture for an entire year without breaking, facing what he likely saw as certain death. She had met very few with that kind of will. As a baseline, it gave her hope for the captain’s recovery. However, she’d have to see his condition for herself before deciding if it was realistically possible for him to recover enough to rejoin active duty. Many in his position didn’t.

"He responds very negatively to the word doctor and obviously needles." Hinata pauses. "Though that last part shouldn't be an issue. You're a mental health professional, not someone who gives injections."

“Of course.” Torture could involve injections, and some were particularly nasty, Konan knew that. “And I assume that with his fear of needles comes a dislike for hospitals and medical institutions. Do you know if he is claustrophobic?” That was another thing to look out for. If he was kept locked in the dark, then there was a risk of that.

HInata sighs and nods. "Claustrophobia. He did have a panic attack in an elevator once." It hadn't been a good day to put it mildly.

“As expected.” Then she would have to work in the glass room instead of her usual office. Not for the first time, of course, she was one of the psychologists employed by the military, CIA, and FBI to deal with some of their more concerning cases. Usually involving severe PTSD.

The glass room was her own happy place, an office made out of a greenhouse, with glass panels making up the walls, lightly scented plants of all kinds ringing the room to provide privacy, and plenty of space and sunlight. All of the conditions perfect to keep someone with fears and trauma’s accompanying PTSD to remain calm. “Is there anything particular I should know about his physical condition? Anything that still pains him, or damage that he’s particularly uncomfortable about?”

"He's still underweight, but he is gaining it back." Hinata pauses. "He's also got scars on his back. Whip marks. They aren't that deep and I don't consider them disfiguring, but he's...a bit self-conscious about them."

As for what pained him, that could be anything. "His physical condition is improving. He can walk now and has even started swimming, but his stamina is still low yet." That had to be a source of embarrassment to him. For someone like Sasuke who had always excelled in sports, that had to hurt his pride. "And sometimes he'll have random pains. Therapeutic massage seems to benefit him a lot."

“I assume that you provide the massages.” Konan eyes Hinata carefully. She was his physical therapist after all, trained in massage.

Hinata nods. "Yes, I do." Don't blush. She couldn't blush. "I’m not really sure, if he'd let anyone else do it though." And she would be jealous. The Hyuga woman couldn't lie about that. At least not to herself.

“Understandable, trust is likely something he is running low on, especially for civilians.” Konan smiles as the young woman’s cheeks turn pink. Interesting…perhaps there was more to this than a doctor patient relationship, she did seem to know the captain rather well. “And…how about on a more personal note? Is there anything you would like me to address? Many of my patients have partners, and I can provide advice for growing healthy relationships despite past trauma.”

"Yes, most likely." Hinata agrees. "Well he doesn't seem to mind being touched and I think he wants to establish healthy relationships." She pauses. "But he's a bit concerned about having an episode and accidentally hurting someone or opening up."

“Of course, and having military training, even in his physically weakened state, could prove dangerous with that much adrenaline in his blood.” Konan’s hopes rose a little more. Often, she saw patients who wanted to hide from the world. But this Uchiha…Itachi’s little brother, was sounding more and more like a survivor. Just like Itachi had told her, the first time they’d spoken after he joined the FBI.

Hinata knew that it would be foolish not to be at least a little concerned. "I know, but I don't think it's an immediate concern." She couldn't see Sasuke actually hurting someone by accident. He had such control, even now.

Konan nods. “It likely isn’t, but him believing, or fearing that it is will cause more stress than his body can take, and slow down his recovery.” Which meant that the first task was to discover and address Sasuke’s underlying fears and stop him from internalizing them. That would unravel the web of his mind, and allow both himself, and her to explore and heal it. For this young woman’s sake as well. Because Konan was far from blind. The young doctor’s eyes shone as she spoke of the captain, with emotions and thoughts that she knew well. “I will do what I can to help him come to terms with his fears. Then, perhaps, he will not be so afraid to touch you.”

"Yes, I understand that the mind can really impact the body." The bluenette nods in agreement and then she hears that last part. "You mean you'll help him so he's not so afraid to touch people in general..."

Konan’s professional appearance softens into a smile. “I know the look of a woman in love well. I see it in the mirror every morning when I wake up with my partners. And I know well that the fear of hurting the people you love can hold a person back. Nagato suffered from it for some time after an assignment went wrong. It took Yahiko and I months to reassure him that he wouldn’t destroy everything he touched.”

Hinata blushes scarlet. "P-Please don't tell anyone." While it wasn't necessarily illegal to become involved with your patients, it was frowned on. "He's still getting used to e-everything. To being back…and I don't want to subject him to such things." He wasn't ready. "Sasuke said that we could announce it after he was a bit stronger physically." And she believed him.

Wait. Partners? "Oh...so that's how you know." Partners as in plural?! She had more than one. "Well I'm glad that you have found love." She wondered if they were both men, or one of each. "So you won't tell anyone, right?" Konan was the type of person where honestly, it was kinda difficult to tell which was her preference. And that was assuming she had one at all. Not that it really mattered as long as everyone was a consenting adult, it wasn't any of Hinata's business. She was hardly in a position to judge.

“Of course not, Captain Uchiha’s business is his own, I am just here to help him sort it into the right places.” Besides, with two life-partners who worked in the CIA, Konan had long since learned what should be kept a secret. “Just know that I have experience in what the two of you are going through. And even though it was hard, I would never have given up on either of my men. So you should stay strong for yours as well.”

Well that answered that unspoken question. "Oh good. Um I'll keep that in mind." She blushes. The thought of two Sasukes. Well Hinata didn't know that she could have handled that. "Thank you." How Konan handled two lovers, she didn't know. Hinata would have been a pile of goo.

“My pleasure.” Konan pats the younger woman on the shoulder lightly. “And if you feel the need to talk to someone, my door is open to the partners of the agents and soldiers I look after. They’re not the only ones who hurt in situations like this.”

Hinata smiles. "That's very kind of you." She was becoming some kind of deviant. "Thank you." She couldn't get the image of two Sasukes out of her mind.

With a final nod of acknowledgment, Konan leaves the young doctor, proceeding to text Itachi the location for the appointment. Rather than at her work office, this would be at her home office. The place for…special patients. A place where, if the worst were to happen, she had two capable CIA agents on hand, ready to calm things without unnecessary force.

* * *

 

About an hour later, Itachi braces himself. "Alright, Sasuke." He looks at his brother and sighs. "I know this is going to be difficult, but promise me that you will try." They had just pulled into the driveway of where Sasuke would be having his appointment with Konan. "For your sake and well, for Hinata's as well."

“I know…” Sasuke knew that the only way anything would be relatively normal again would be after getting through a few months of this, recovering physically, and maybe…maybe then the nightmares would go away. “So you said that this was a friend of yours?”

Itachi nods. "Yes, she is." He smiles at Sasuke. "She's specifically trained to help service members and federal agents. She is authorized to listen to even the most sensitive classified information."

Sasuke relaxes just a little, hearing that. It meant that he didn’t have to watch his words so carefully. And they weren’t at a hospital either, the house was…nice. Not too big, but clearly, whoever lived here was making plenty of money. “Is she strong enough to…defend herself in case something happens?” Not that he wanted anything to happen, he just wasn’t sure if he’d have a violent flashback in the middle of this.

"She's professionally trained in self-defense and in your current condition, I’d be more worried about you than her." Itachi smirks. "Whoever made up the phrase “hits like a girl” has clearly never met Konan."

“And don’t worry, Nagato and I are around to make sure you don’t break anything.” A head of bright orange hair looks through the passenger side window at Sasuke. “You must be Itachi’s kid brother. I’m Yahiko.”

Blinking quickly at the man whose grin reminds him of Naruto, complete with bright, impossibly colored hair, Sasuke leans back a little. “Sasuke.” He glances back at his brother. “I thought you said that this was Konan’s house.”

"It is Konan's house. Yahiko is her...." Boyfriend seemed a bit juvenile, but Itachi supposed he might as well. "Her boyfriend, I suppose you could say. She refers to him as her partner. One of them anyway. Nagato is the other one."

Yahiko’s eyes analyze Sasuke, taking in his every motion, every expression. “Konan is waiting for you in the greenhouse out back. You should like it in there. It’s where she talks to her…special patients.”

Sasuke wasn’t sure if he liked being called ‘special’, but he knew that it probably wasn’t an inaccurate description. “Okay.” He turns to Itachi, his hand already opening the door. “I’ll see you later, then.”

Itachi nods and places his hand on Sasuke's shoulder. "Good luck. I'll be back in about an hour." He smiles encouragingly at him. "You can do this."

“Right.” Sasuke steps out of the car, glancing back uncertainly as Itachi drives off. “You said that she’s in the greenhouse?” That sounded nice.

Yahiko nods. “Yeah.” His smile fades a little more. “You probably don’t remember me, but I was part of the team that found you. You weren’t exactly up for conversation at the time, but you managed not to attack Nagato when he grabbed you before you fell. You look like you’re recovering well, got some color back in your cheeks.” He nods towards the back of the house. “Come on, they’re in the back.”

Sasuke nods, his mind reeling at the new information. This man with the bright orange hair was part of the rescue team? “Are you military?”

Yahiko shakes his head. “CIA, so is Nagato. So you can be sure that you’ll be safe here, and we’ll be just as safe.” He guides Sasuke around the back of the large house, towards a giant glass dome. Opening the door, he calls inside. “Konan, Itachi’s little brother is here!”

Konan smiles. She turned out to be a blue haired woman with exotic orange eyes and perhaps more piercings than one would have expected someone of her profession to have. "Wonderful." The bluenette glides over to him gracefully. She wore a long sleeved white shirt and jeans. So did the man by her. That must be Nagato.

Sasuke’s eyes flick between the three of them. Konan seemed a lot like Hinata, just older and more…decorated. And she must have had a thing for redheads, because Nagato’s curtain of scarlet hair contrasted greatly against Yahiko’s bright spikes. It was an unearthly picture.

Yahiko grins widely as he grabs hold of Nagato around the waist. “This is our little Agent Uzumaki, he was the one looking after you on our way back here. Imagine our surprise when it turned out we’d found Itachi’s little brother.”

Nagato raises an eyebrow. "NOTHING about me is little." He smiles smugly as Konan giggles and kisses both of their cheeks.

Sasuke blinks, more at the name than the gestures. “You’re an Uzumaki?” That was Naruto’s last name, and Karin’s last name too. Just how big was their family if he’d never even heard of Nagato? Though it seemed that feisty redheads definitely ran in the family.

"Yes, Nagato is an Uzumaki. I suppose it's a rather large family." Konan nods. "I'll see the both of you afterward." She shakes her head when she realizes they might be stubborn. "If I need help, I will call out for it. Sasuke needs some privacy for his first session." And the two men reluctantly leave after that. Though it was likely they were hovering somewhere outside the greenhouse.

Their departure leaves the Sasuke alone with Konan, a little nervous for the first of his weekly sessions. But…at least the location was comfortable. Not dark or oppressive, but comfortable and almost natural.

Still, that left the next hour for talking about what had happened. Sasuke swallows nervously, no keen to revisit it. “So, you talk to your ‘special’ cases in here?”

She nods. "Yes, I apologize. That terminology could be construed as offensive." Konan smiles at him. "It wasn't meant to be. He just means my more...complicated cases. You've undergone an extreme trauma, Sasuke. You're going to require a more personal touch." The bluenette smiles at him. "Metaphorically of course." She glances at him. "You're very attractive, but you are a bit young for me and I think that you prefer to get your massages elsewhere. That and I'm deliriously happy with my own lovers. Now, shall we begin?"

Well, that’s what he was here for. “Yes.” The sooner he got started, the sooner this would be over with. And the sooner he could be back where he belonged.

"There's a reason I chose a less formal setting and manner of dress." She smiles again. "I want you to think of me more as your friend than your therapist."

Or his big brother’s friend, more like. Not that it mattered. “That’s fine.” It was starting friendly enough, but he knew that even if not today, these sessions were going to be very unpleasant.

She nods. "Good. I am warning you that there will be days you are going to hate me." Konan shrugs. "You can say whatever you like, no matter how cruel...but if you get violent, I will knock you on your ass. Is that understood?"

Now THAT catches Sasuke off guard. And at the tone of her voice, he smiles. “Yes Ma’am.” This was not a woman to fuck with. Maybe…it’d be okay.

"Excellent. Well I suppose we should start with something nonthreatening." She pauses. "Is your appetite for food returning?"

“Yes.” That was safe, if a little embarrassing. “I’m not eating as much as I should in order to gain muscle mass quickly, but I’m slowly increasing the calorie count day by day.” Sasuke was increasing it incrementally, building it up to the point where his physical recovery and food intake would meet, and the training could start.

"Good." She smiles. "Some patients haven't moved beyond soft food at this point. So that's a very good sign."

Sasuke shrugs. “Itachi would call it being stubborn. But I know that if I went along like ‘most patients’, I would probably still be lying in bed.” And he was far too restless to succumb to that kind of fate. He would die of boredom.

She nods. "That's true. How much physical pain are you in usually?" Konan pauses. "On an average day from a scale of 1-10. One being no pain and ten being in agony."

“Relative to me? Or a normal person?” Sasuke knew that he had a high pain tolerance, it was trained into him. “Probably…three on a good day, sometimes as low as a one, five if I have a mild attack, seven if I do my physio and other daily exercises too hard and have a stronger attack.”

Konan nods and takes a few notes. "That's all good. Where are you staying currently?"

“With Itachi. He insisted that I stay with him until I’m recovered, before moving to Fort Hamilton.” Which Sasuke had planned on doing, when Kakashi first brought up that he’d be stationed there once he got off leave. There was Hinata, though…and if their relationship actually worked out, at impossible odds, then she might not want to live on a military base.

Konan nods. "Well that's reassuring, though that might get a bit awkward at some point."

Sasuke rolls his eyes. “We went through the awkward phase when I was in middle school.” Because he’d gone from worshiping Itachi, to competing with him and annoying the crap out of each other. Itachi annoying him most of the time. “At this point, he just likes to watch my every move, and tease me at every opportunity. Nothing new.”

"Oh good." She smiles. "Because Hinata is a naturally shy woman as it is." Konan nods sagely.

And that makes Sasuke nearly choke on air, but instead, he forces himself to raise an eyebrow. “You know Hinata?” And she was not shy! At least…not in private…

"We are both affiliated with the same hospital." She reminds him and smiles. "And she always was bad at keeping secrets. Her eyes give her away. Of course, I was required to speak with your physical therapist before starting mental treatment."

Well, so much for keeping their relationship on the down low until he was recovered. “I see. Then I assume that she gave you a thorough break-down of my physical condition, and the progress I made both in and out of the…hospital?” He bites his lip, almost hard enough to draw blood. He could do this. Keep the panic down. Hospitals were no big deal. They were for people to get better in, not…experimented on.

"Yes, she did." Konan gives him a reassuring look. "She didn't tell me anything that wasn't professional or I didn't already suspect." She smiles. "Her eyes gave her away. The sparkle when she speaks of you, you know? Women can tell these things."

Well, that explained why the women in the platoon always gave the men odd looks. They just…knew things, and it was kind of freaky. “That explains a lot, actually.” No wonder this woman was a psychologist, apparently she read Hinata like a book.

Konan chuckles. "Even without training, Hinata just has a very honest face. She's not good at hiding how she feels." And the young man before her was perhaps unsurprisingly honest. Truth, justice, loyalty, honor. That’s what Nagato had said was tattooed on Sasuke’s back.

“That’s true.” Sasuke shifts uncomfortably. “Are you going to use kid gloves today, or are you going to ask me how I ended up here.” The longer he put it off, the longer he’d want to keep putting it off. Maybe this was forcing himself, but hell, he’d always done it that way. Forcing himself, pushing himself to be better, do better. It’s what he knew how to do best.

"I thought kid gloves might be best, but if you wish to jump into the deep end...well that's admirable, if unwise." She smiles at him. "Itachi does call you his foolish little brother though."

That comment earns a slight glare. “It doesn’t matter if I hash this out now or later. It’s not going to change what happened.” Nothing was ever going to change what happened to him. But the faster he got through all of it, the better. The less time he spent feeling weak…the more time he could spend with the people who matter.

She nods. "Very well. What are you having the hardest time coping with?" Konan pauses. "The flashbacks, physical pain, assimilation, concern that you'll have an episode and hurt someone, or something else?" Might as well be blunt.

A hard question. And Sasuke honestly wasn’t sure. “The physical pain…I can handle.” His fingers start to fidget a little. “Assimilating…I don’t know if that’s entirely possible. Being on the military base is one thing. I feel normal there, safe. In public, though, I feel like a wild animal walking around loose. Like as soon as people realize what I am, they’ll attack.” The last two topics…those were the issue. “My flashbacks trigger the episodes. It’s only been panic attacks so far, but who’s to say they’ll stay that way?” What if he had a bad one, a REALLY bad one, and hurt someone? Someone who couldn’t defend themselves from him? He was getting stronger by the day, so it wasn’t impossible that someone could get too close…and he could hurt them. Or worse.

Konan nods in understanding. "All very normal fears. I don't think you really understand how well you're doing at the moment." She smiles at him. "You show several promising signs. While PTSD never goes away, it can be managed."

“I know that it never goes away…” Sasuke doubted he’d ever be rid of the nightmares. They were too vivid to ever disappear. “Seems like Kakashi and Itachi think I stayed sane out of spite.” Sasuke scoffs. “I barely stayed alive in that place.”

"It doesn't matter that you barely stayed alive, what matters is that you did." She sighs. "And you came out in one piece even if there are cracks in that piece." Many cracks, if her suspicions about what he’d gone through were right, especially if Yahiko’s reports on the place were accurate. What he must have gone through…

Sasuke wasn’t too sure about that, holding his head as it started to ache. Something felt…missing, and he didn’t know what. Or maybe the piece wasn’t missing, and he just felt like he was about to shatter into a million pieces. He wasn’t sure, because whatever he’d forgotten…he didn’t want to remember. It happened in the last few days, maybe weeks. He was sure of it. But all he really remembered clearly from that time was one thought. The desire to crack his head open against the wall of his cell.

"It's alright, Sasuke." She watches him carefully, recognizing that he was not in his right state of mind, not that she expected him to be the whole way through. "Breathe deeply or tug on your hair. That seems to help you." Though the question as to why still remained. It was an interesting nervous tick, that’s for sure.

Fingers trembling, he tugs just behind his ear, hard. It’s a shock to his system, but helps to drag him out of the darkness. A darkness he hadn’t even realized he slipped into. “What happened?” Usually, if something was going wrong, he knew it instinctively. What happened to him?

"You were having an episode. Not a violent one, but you were drifting." Konan sighs. "It's normal, Sasuke."

He shakes his head. “No, that one was…different. I couldn’t stop it. Usually, I can taste blood, but…” He didn’t know how to explain it. “It was just…nothing. No sign, no warning, no pain, just…nothing.” What the hell was his mind hiding from him?

"You've suppressed something." Very strongly it seemed. That wasn’t good, she knew that for the mind to do something so drastic, something must have happened, something worse than whatever was causing the panic attacks. "I wouldn't probe further...it'll come when you're ready." Or not at all, which might be better for him, in the end.

He nods, but the problem was…Sasuke was completely certain that he didn’t want to remember. Whatever it was…it wasn’t good.


	17. Chapter 17

Today, had been the day from Hell for Sasuke. Well other than the swimsuit picture. That had been very nice. Until Itachi saw it anyway. And then, he had to get psychoanalyzed by a woman who had a mini harem! A mini harem that apparently included one of his best friend’s cousins! Could his life get any weirder!?

To say the least, Sasuke was eager to reassert some measure of control over his environment again. So he did what any good commanding officer did. He came up with a plan. A brilliant plan. "This should do it." He smirks as he lays a note on Hinata's bed with a package by it. Hinata wasn't the only one who could write letters and be a tease. He was going to have to make a few calls to ensure absolute privacy for this, but he was pretty sure Suigetsu and Kakashi wouldn't mind humoring him. After all, they’d be perverted hypocrites if they didn’t.

Pulling out his phone, he dials the number, and pre-empts his commanding officer before the man even has a chance to say a word. "Kakashi, can you ensure that no one goes into the pool building until morning?" It was probably better to be on the safe side. "And is the pool room soundproof?"

While he doubted that he would actually be able to fully perform, that didn't meant that they couldn't start taking things further than just making out on the couch. And while Sasuke knew it would be stupid to try to be completely intimate with Hinata, he knew there was a chance he might be ‘inspired’ enough to try anyway. "I guess there's a very good reason why Itachi calls me his foolish brother." He sighs under his breath as he waits for Kakashi's answer.

This was risky, but screw it. He was bored and anxious, and needed to do something to keep his mind busy. Or turn it off completely. Sasuke couldn't let everyone keep ordering him around, especially since he was technically on leave. He wanted to set the rules for the first time in what seemed like forever.

Kakashi pauses on the other end of the phone. “Sasuke, are you planning on following Suigetsu’s bad example to commandeer the swimming pool?”

“Is that a problem?” Sasuke raises an eyebrow, and though Kakashi can’t see it, he’s certain that the colonel can hear it in his voice. “After all, that’s coming from the man who reads softcore erotica while on duty, and shamelessly whips it out in the middle of the barracks.” Was Kakashi really going to try and play the straight-laced commanding officer right now? Sasuke didn’t buy it.

Kakashi pauses once more. "Sasuke, while I’m glad that you're feeling better...you do know that physically you might have some issues." The silver haired man normally had no shame, but this was a delicate matter. He didn't want to hurt Sasuke's pride, but his pride would be hurt worse...if he tried to be intimate with someone and he just couldn't do it. Either because of pain from his other injuries or because he was too weak. "Though I do applaud the initiative, of course." Kakashi pauses. "Are you sure about this?"

Sasuke growls lightly. “I know that I might have some ‘issues’, but I wasn’t planning on-” He smacks his forehead as he walks out of Hinata’s house, letting the door lock automatically behind him. “If it gets that far, great, but I’m not expecting it to.” Not yet, at least. And it did frustrate him, but there was no way to change his situation overnight. So, he compromised.

"Alright. Well yes, I can make the necessary arrangements." Kakashi chuckles. "Be safe Sasuke and have fun."

“That’s the point.” Pervert. Sasuke didn’t know what he did precisely to end up with the guy as his commander, but sometimes it was as much a blessing as a curse.

Kakashi wisely decides to hang up. After all, he didn't survive this long in the military without some sense of self-preservation.

Sasuke smirks as he puts his phone away, heading slowly for Fort Hamilton. By now, he could walk the distance, if he paced himself, and there were shortcuts and less frequented paths he could take to avoid large numbers of civilians. It would take him about an hour, including breaks, but it would also give Hinata time to get home from her shift and head for the base. All he had to do was register a civilian visitor for the evening, and that was that.

* * *

 

A short while later, Hinata gets home from work. She notices Sasuke wasn't there, but wasn't too worried. "He's probably with Konan or maybe, back at his place." She decides and with that, she heads to her room. It had been a very long day and she was eager to get off her feet.

That's when she notices a box and a letter on top of the box. "What the?" The bluenette reaches over and opens the letter. She blushes as she reads it.

 

**_How about instead of playing with words, you come and play with me? I've listed the address below. I'll be waiting for you in the pool. Without those on._ **

 

Hinata blinks and opens the box. She blushes when she sees a pair of swimming trunks in it. "Is he serious?" Or was he just teasing because of her reference to skinny dipping in high school? Well there was only one way two find out. And the address pointed to…Fort Hamilton. She leaves her house and heads off to the base. Tiredness definitely forgotten.

At the gate, the guard eyes her calmly as she pulls up. “No civilians past this point without authorization.”

"I'm Hinata Hyuga." Maybe, her last name would be enough to get her in. "Dr. Hinata Hyuga. I'm here to see a patient. He's on medical leave." It seemed like the kind of thing Sasuke would do.

“Hyuga…?” He checks the papers for civilian access authorization, flipping over several of them before… “Ah, here we are, a request put in by Captain Uchiha, granted by Colonel Hatake as the captain is on medical leave. Do you have identification on you?” He watches her warily, ready for any suspicious movements.

"Um sure." She says as she opens her purse and pulls out her driver's license. "Will that work?" Maybe, they needed something else. She didn't know. Hinata had never actually been on a base before.

The guard examines the driver’s license, checks it for authenticity, and then against her appearance, before handing it back to her. “Welcome to Fort Hamilton, Dr. Hyuga.” He presses a button to open the gate and let her pass.

"Thank you." Hinata smiles at him as she heads into the base. Now, she just had to find Sasuke.

Hinata heads into the base and looks around for the pool. It was such a huge base. This was beyond frustrating! Eventually, she breaks down and just asks one of the civilian custodians and scurries off to the pool. "Sasuke?" She cautiously opens the door and looks around for him.

There’s a chuckle after her voice echoes through the building. She’d made it, good. Sasuke was looking forward to this. And clad only in jeans and a t-shirt after jogging part of the way here, he was looking forward to cooling off a little.

She looks around and finally spots him. "There you are!" The bluenette dashes over to him.

Catching her around the middle, and not even stumbling, Sasuke smirks into her hair. “For someone who got my letter, you seem rather overdressed for going to the pool.”

She blushes. "W-Well it's an army base. I c-couldn't really walk in wearing a bikini or something." Hinata blinks as she realizes he was actually serious about the pool thing. "Could I?"

“I doubt that anyone would complain about it, even if you’re not supposed to. I certainly wouldn’t complain.” He nibbles on her ear, feeling rather deviant today. And excited, very, very excited.

She squirms and shivers. "Well it'd probably be breaking about a hundred rules." And if she got catcalled or something and Sasuke saw, that probably wouldn't end well. "But I’ll keep that in mind."

“Something like that.” His fingers drift down towards her hips, spinning her around to catch her in a fiery kiss. Yeah, definitely a better kind of therapy than having his brain picked at by Konan, even if he knew that he was basically obliged to answer all of her questions. He’d never be allowed back on duty if he was uncooperative. So, he’d jump their hoops, as long as he got to come home to something like THIS at the end of the day.

Hinata smiles into the kiss and returns it with equal passion. "I missed you." She snuggles close to him and sighs in contentment. "A lot."

Hinata wanted to ask him how it went, but figured that would spoil all this. Sasuke had clearly gone through a lot of trouble to surprise her. And while it was mostly in a deviant way, well it was also romantic. He must have, at a minimum, had to give Kakashi some basic idea of what he had planned. Sasuke was certainly not someone who was easily embarrassed, it seemed.

“Missed you too.” Sasuke’s fingers slide up her sides, slipping under her shirt just a little, teasing her as his fingertips massage around her waist. His kiss deepens, tasting vanilla on his tongue as he hums contentedly, the remains of a smirk still plain as day on his face.

She smiles and kisses back. "Mmm you do seem rather tremendously pleased with yourself." Hinata giggles between kisses, enjoying the attention. "As you should be. I mean this did take a lot of planning." She slides her own hands under his shirt, lifting it towards his head, before pulling it off over his spiky hair.

“It did, and I always like to make sure my plans work.” Hence why he went through the pervert. “For example…” He tosses his shirt away and pushes her against the closest wall. “Now there’ll be no running away if my siren turns into a shy little bunny.” He lowers his lips to her throat, sucking there firmly, hard enough to leave a significant bruise.

Hinata shivers at the implication and instinctively squirms against the wall and Sasuke. That was until he starts marking up her throat and a quiet moan escapes her lips. "Nnh!" God, that felt good. Ridiculously good. "G-Got it."

“Feel like taking a dip in the pool? After all, you’ve been working so hard lately, you should have a little fun.” Sasuke smirks as his hands travel up Hinata’s back, to where her lacy bra is clasped. “What, you didn’t even get changed? You can’t wear something like that in a pool.” And there goes the clasp, snapped open surprisingly easily.

She blushes. "Well I thought you were just teasing me." Hinata hadn't actually thought that he was serious. "And that if you weren't, the clothes were coming off anyway?"

Sasuke chuckles at the sight. “Well, at least you were prepared.” His hands slide her shirt up and over her head, dropping it to the floor to reveal that lacy lavender lingerie he liked, hanging loosely off her shoulders, barely supporting her breasts at all anymore. Smirking, he pulls the front with a single finger, exposing her entirely for his viewing pleasure. “Beautiful…” Large, creamy breasts, not monstrous in size, but definitely voluptuous, just begging him to mark them all up.

Her blush deepens to the deepest shade of red possible and well, it was quite extensive. Even her breasts were turning a rosy shade of pink. "So are you." Instinctively, she goes to cover up. Mostly out of habit. Though she supposed there was a part of her that wondered what he would do, if she did cover up. Even if it was just with her arms.

Sasuke rolls his eyes. “So you’ve told me.” He pries her hands from her chest, trapping them firmly against the wall. “Are you finally going all shy little bunny on me now?”

"Maybe a little." She mews in pleasure as she tilts her head to the side, exposing more of her neck to him as he drops his head, planting a trail of kisses down her neck, before latching on to one of her rosy pink nipples nipples, swirling his tongue around the bud. "H-habit." Hinata half apologizes, gasping when she feels his hot mouth wrapped around her breasts and she couldn't help, but let out a rather lewd moan in response.

Sasuke smirks against her skin, releasing her wrists and lowering his hands to wrap them around her. “Let’s see what we can do about that habit.” Nipping slightly, he starts testing the waters. He knew that Hinata liked things to be a little less…proper than you’d expect from someone coming from the kind of family she did, but that didn’t mean that he could get particularly rough with her.

Hinata gasps, but doesn't protest otherwise as one of her hands finds his dark tresses and she begins slowly running her fingers through them. "Y-Yeah. It's p-probably going to take a lot of practice to break though." She blushes and her other hand slides down his bare chest until she finds the zipper of his pants which, surprisingly, she starts to slide down.

“I’m willing to help you practice. More than willing…” He can feel a twitch down below as Hinata’s hands slide his pants down, revealing…nothing underneath.

She blushes. "I can see that." More than willing was an understatement. "You weren't lying when you said that you missed me." The Hyuga Heiress blushes again and kisses him as she shyly takes him into her hand and strokes him lightly.

Sasuke’s breath quickens, for all the right reasons, as silky smooth skin caresses him. “First thing you…learn at the academy. A cadet doesn’t lie.”

She slides her hand up and down the length of impressive erection. "So if your commanding officer asks you what you did in the pool, you're going to tell them that I gave you a handjob and let you suck on my breasts?" The bluenette looks up at him, not believing her own boldness.

Sasuke groans, his mouth moving back up to Hinata’s ear as he caresses her breasts with a firm grip. “I’ll tell him that it’s classified information, and on a need to know basis. And he doesn’t NEED to know.”

She giggles. "That's good to know." The bluenette seems somewhat emboldened by that reassurance because her hand begins to move against his arousal faster. "And I presume the size of your ‘weapon’ is also highly classified information?"

Damn it, from bunny to siren in three seconds flat. One of Sasuke’s hands abandons her breasts, reaching down to flick open her jeans, the other hand soon joining the first in tugging them down. “Not even the president has clearance to know that information.”

Hinata blushes when he reaches for her jeans, but doesn't make a move to stop him. "In that case, I feel highly privileged to have access to such..." She pauses and rubs him more firmly. "sensitive information."

Sensitive is right as Sasuke nearly bangs his head against the wall behind her, his hips bucking rapidly into her hand. Barely able to control his hands, he slides her pants right down her hips, pushing them until gravity takes them to the floor. “I’ll have to add this to the list of classified information as well.” He slips his hand into her lingerie, rubbing gently at her, probing, coaxing, and searching for that little pearl hidden deep within the folds.

"I'd a-appreciate that." Hinata moans when she feels his hand against her most intimate places. "S-Sasuke!" Fuck! She was already getting wet and he'd barely touched her. It was all she could do to stay semi focused and continue stroking him. "You can c-cum if you want to. You don't have to hold back." Well maybe for hygienic purposes, but they weren't actually in the pool at the moment, so that should be okay.

He hadn’t wanted to admit how close she’d gotten him, but he was coming undone at her words as he rubs more firmly, finding a little protruding spot and attacking it with his thumb as his fingers press shallowly into her core. Warm, wet, slippery. “Hinata…ah, fuck!”

She moans and arches against him. "Feels good." Hinata felt like a teenager again. Getting this excited about a little foreplay, but it just felt so good and she could feel him bucking and pulsing into her hand. So she knew he felt the same way. "N-Need a little more." Just a little deeper. Sasuke could be a tease, even when he didn't mean to be.

As spots dance across Sasuke’s vision and a rush of pleasure shoots through him, he acquiesces to the request, pumping two of his fingers deeply inside her, curling them as he rubs vigorously against her. Even if he was already half delirious with pleasure, he would tip her over the edge as well.

She moans and attempts to ride his fingers as she feels a familiar pressure building between her legs. "J-Just like that." Hinata buries her face into the side of her neck as she strokes him faster and faster. "Sasuke!” She felt her climax hit her hard, and almost immediately after Sasuke’s.

Panting softly in Hinata’s ear, Sasuke smirks. “Feel like making good on the suggestion you made in senior year?” After all, his body felt like it was burning, and he knew one good cure for that.

Hinata nods. "Y-Yeah." Though at this point, she would have agreed to almost anything. "Think we can make it to the pool?" Her legs felt like jello, but in the best way possible.

“I think so.” He may not have been back up to full strength, but it was just twenty feet, Sasuke could carry someone as light as Hinata that far. So, her picks her up, lifting her out of the clothes pooled on the ground, stepping out of his own, and heading for the water with a slowly growing smirk on his face.

She blushes and tries not to squirms. "Sasuke!" Hinata squeaks at suddenly being picked up. He probably shouldn't have done it, but it was too late to protest that he should be more careful. She was already in his arms. Bridal Style.

His arms burn a little by the time they make it to the edge of the pool, but this moment was just too good to pass up. “Hold your breath.”

"You wouldn't dare!" Apparently, he would though!

“Wanna bet?” He chuckles mischievously as he takes another step forward, plunging them both into the cool water.

Hinata shrieks, but manages to hold her breath and swim to the surface. "Bad Sasuke!" The bluenette gives him a dirty look. "You deserve a spanking for that one." She grumbles, but cuddles to him anyway.

Sasuke laughs at her, completely drenched, dark bangs hanging in his eyes. “And here I thought that you were fond of excitement.”

"Well I am." She tries to will her heart to stop pounding. "But…a different kind of excitement." Hinata runs her fingers through his now drenched bangs curiously. "So soft."

He smirks at her words. “Then maybe we can explore that excitement later.” Well, when he was more recovered than this. “But what’s with your apparent fascination with my hair?”

"Maybe." She rests her head back on his shoulder. "Mmm. I don't know. I like it and it seems a more appropriate part to fixate on than some of my other choices." She squirms a bit as she tries to sneakily soothe her breasts. The shock of the warm air to the cool water had made her nipples tighten up fast. That kinda hurt. "I mean your hair is soft but another part of you definitely isn't." She giggles.

“There’s not much of me that’s soft anymore.” Sasuke wraps his arms around her, reaching just far enough to rub gently at her nipples with pale fingers.

She moans quietly and leans against him. "That's okay." That felt good. "I don't mind."

“Good…” Even through the chlorine of the pool, Sasuke could smell the scent of lavenders. That seemed to be Hinata’s thing. Lavender eyes, lavender perfume, lavender lingerie. It was just…her. All her. Soft and sweet and soothing.

"So I guess you changed your mind. The pool instead of the office." Hinata smiles softly, enjoying being held.

“Haven’t changed my mind. The office comes when I’m back on active duty.” And did Sasuke ever have plans for what he could do in there.

"Mmm why do I get the impression that active duty has more than one meaning in this context?" Hinata laughs as she turns around to kiss his cheek.

Sasuke kisses her back, hands dipping beneath the water to clutch at her waist. “Because you know me better than you think. And I’m definitely looking forward to it.”

She sighs in pleasure. "Good to know. Though you made quite the performance for not being on active...combat duty yet."

“Good to know that I can perform adequately, if not at…full strength.” And the latter was something that Sasuke was definitely looking forward to. “…I should be training again in a few weeks. Stamina being the first priority.”

Hinata blushes. "Well as much as I would like to train with you, don't push yourself too hard." She snuggles against him. "I can wait."

“I know.” It was frustrating, though, to have to rebuild all of the strength and stamina he’d lost. But frustrated or not, he was stubborn enough to push through the pain anyway. And that’s precisely what he planned to do. “I’ll try not to make you wait too long, though.”

"Mmm." She smiles. "It's okay, you're worth the wait and besides, I would be a very improper Hyuga Princess, if I slept with you this early. My father would be positively mortified."

Oh…now that was tempting. “I think that I would like to see that expression on Hiashi’s face.” Sasuke could just imagine the look on that old man’s face if he did something ‘improper’ to his precious Hyuga Princess. “But I’m sure that I can think of other ways to see him make that face.”

"I think just me…touching you in the way I have already would probably have outraged him enough." She giggles.

“Then I guess it’s too bad that I’ve declared it classified information.” Oh well, Sasuke could definitely think of other ways to piss off the Hyuga.

Hinata nods. "Well it is in the interest of national security." Her father did have a temper when it came to stuff like that.

“Then we’ll have to do the ‘Meet the Parents’ when I’m recovered. That should be entertaining.” After all, Sasuke had stood up to his own father as a teenager. Measuring up to Hiashi should be a piece of cake in comparison.

"Well...my mother should be nicer to you than my father will be." She smiles. "Though I think father will be a bit more accepting of you than most of the people I dated. He has great respect for the military."

“He probably wouldn’t if he met my commander.” Kakashi didn’t always make the greatest first impressions, and once you got to know him…well, then you knew how much of a pervert the man was. “But if that will stop him from trying, and failing, to kill me for dating his daughter, then I suppose I’ll have to press my advantage.” And turning a situation to his advantage was Sasuke’s specialty.

Hinata giggles. "Kakashi is certainly one of a kind." She nods. "It might help a bit. He's still probably going to try to scare you off."

Sasuke stares at her skeptically. “And what exactly do you think he could do that’s worse than what I’ve seen?” The man ran businesses, not covert operations overseas in hostile terrain. What was Hiashi going to do? Threaten him with a hostile takeover?

"I said he'd try to scare you off." Hinata smiles and kisses his cheek. "Not that he could."

A smirk crosses Sasuke’s face. “In that case, I look forward to seeing him TRY.” His grip tightens, sneaking all around her body.

"Mhm." She snuggles more. Sasuke was very snugglable. "I’m sure you do. You have a lot of stuff to look forward to. Meeting my father, and your office."

He nods. “Not to mention feeling normal again.” Even with all of the rehabilitation, he still felt idle, restless. Ad he much preferred the atmosphere here, than out in the crowded city. “Definitely looking forward to that.”

Hinata shakes her head. "Sasuke, you're never going to be normal." She kisses his cheek. "You've always been extraordinary."

“I’m just…trying to be myself.” It’s what had gotten him this far, going after his own dreams and ambitions, and to hell with what anyone else said. All except for one… Well, now he had it. And he wasn’t letting go.

"Good." Hinata smiles at him. "Because that's what I like best about you." She glances down suggestively. "Though the wrapping paper is also very nice."

“Well then…” He pushes her through the water, braced against the wall as he smirks at her. “Feel free to unwrap me whenever you like.”

She blushes and smiles at him. "Mmm. I just might take you up on that offer." Hinata couldn't believe this was really happening, but she wasn't going to question it further at this point. "It's a tempting one. Though we wouldn't want to reveal any state secrets." No matter how glorious those secrets might be.


	18. Chapter 18

Sasuke wasn’t usually one for looking in the mirror excessively, partly because he didn’t usually have access to one out in the middle of nowhere. But, after several weeks of Itachi, Hinata, and his mother determinedly shoving ever increasing amounts of food into him, Sasuke was…pleased with the amount of weight he’d gained. He was almost back to normal, though it would take some work to turn a small store of body fat back into muscle.

Still, he looked…healthy, for once. And the best part was that although his stamina wasn’t what it once was, and he doubted he could bench press his weight yet, the pain was mostly gone now. Well, the physical pain, at least. The rest of it was still…taking some time to come out, even with Konan starting slowly to ask the hard questions. Fortunately, there had only been one incident where Nagato and Yahiko had to hold him down, and it was only really to make sure he didn’t hurt himself by accident while Konan worked to calm him.

The nightmares still came, but sometimes he’d go a night or two without them. Last night was one such night, and he actually felt rested. Perfect, considering that today was one of Itachi’s days off, and he would be coming to the base with Sasuke to use one of the training rooms overlooking the pool. Or rather, he was there to motivate Sasuke into getting competitive enough to start seriously pushing his limit again. They would normally go to a regular gym, but Sasuke was still having some trouble showing his scars to civilians. They stared, other soldiers didn’t.

Stretching one more time, Sasuke slips a shirt over his head, along with a jacket, still feeling weird in casual clothes, though…less so at this point. Not that he wasn’t tempted to dig his combat uniform out.

Itachi smiles to himself as he waits for Sasuke outside of his apartment in his new sports car. His brother seemed to be doing better now. There were still nights when he heard the screams and came to help him. Mercifully, now there where nights where that didn't happen at all. And now, Sasuke no longer looked like he was half-starved.

That last part probably had something to do with their mother. "I swear she's trying to smother him with food and hugs." And possibly Hinata. He suspected that Hinata was also trying to get Sasuke to eat. Maybe, even sweets. (Though if that was the case, good luck to her because his brother hated almost anything with more than a teaspoon of sugar in it).

Maybe, he'd ask during the ‘work out’. Well Itachi didn't expect he'd put much effort into the work out, but nothing made his foolish little brother try harder than his presence and it would be a chance to use a military class gym.

He just hoped that Sasuke wasn't actually going to challenge Suigetsu to a race in the pool soon. He really was foolish sometimes. That was one thing that Kisame's brother excelled at. Swimming. Itachi had thought about checking him for gills and flippers a few times. Anyway, God bless that idiot for his ambition, but he didn't want Sasuke to seriously hurt himself over a silly race. (Well not an idiot, idiot...Sasuke had an I.Q. that marked him as a genius, but Itachi digressed).

A gym bag slung over his shoulder, Sasuke walks out the front door and joins Itachi in the car. “Thanks for this, Itachi. It’s about time that I get back into serious training.” And he couldn’t keep dragging Suigetsu away to swim with him. He needed more hours than his friend could spare. And…well, his brother had the day off anyway. “And it means a lot.”

"Well my motives aren't entirely altruistic." He smirks at Sasuke. "I do expect you to keep me entertained. Perhaps regale me with tales about your little princess." How Hinata managed to deal with Sasuke during his therapy sessions was beyond him. He knew that his brother still struggled with hospitals.

“That’s classified information, Itachi.” Sasuke smirks at him. “Not even you have the clearance to hear about the…fun stuff.”

Itachi chuckles. "Well the fact that there is fun stuff involved that requires classification really tells me all that I needed to know, anyway." He buckles his seatbelt. "You got me permission to enter this place right? They tend to keep these places locked up tight." And with that, he drives them to the base.

“Yes, I did, but they’re more lenient with admitting federal agents than civilians. That, and since we’re siblings, I didn’t have to jump nearly as many hoops.” He hadn’t even needed to run it by Kakashi, though he still let him know in passing anyway. Sasuke figured that it was best to just make it easier for everyone that way and avoid some confusion. “Once they see me, they should wave us through pretty fast.” After all, it’s not like Itachi could be anyone BUT his brother, they looked too much alike for that not to be the case.

"Good." They arrive a few minutes later and get greeted by some guards. "Sasuke?" Itachi looked mildly uncomfortable about the guards. Which was unusual for Itachi. He'd let Sasuke handle this one.

Sasuke rolls down his window, waving over one of the guards. “My brother is here with me to use the training facilities. Itachi Uchiha, he’s FBI.”

“FBI, huh?” The guard checks the list, nodding, and peering in at Itachi. “Welcome to Fort Hamilton, Agent Uchiha. Take care of the captain, won’t you?” He flicks a hand at the other guard, who pushes the button to open the gate.

He chuckles. "I always do. Well when he's wise enough to let me do so." And not go running off on the other side of the planet, Itachi thinks to himself.

Sasuke rolls his eyes. “Just what I need…even Izumo and Kotetsu are worried about me.”

Izumo chuckles. “Well, you’re kind of famous around here. And insane apparently, if you believe all of the gossip, anyway.”

“I can almost guarantee that half of it is Suigetsu yanking your chain.” Seriously, he should put a muzzle on that guy. Suigetsu never did know when to keep his mouth shut. It was only because they were friends that Sasuke hadn’t already done it.

Itachi nods. "He's probably right about Suigetsu and gossiping." Itachi laughs. "And I thought women were bad, but they have nothing on Suigetsu."

Izumo chuckles as he retreats to the guard station, the gate fully open for the car to pass through. It may have been a military base, but there were very few ways to escape gossip. The one thing they did manage was not to leak the information to the public yet. The media hadn’t caught the story just yet, because whatever gossip spread on the base stayed there.

Itachi smiles and heads for the exercise/training rooms with Sasuke. "Lead the way. you certainly know this place better than I do." That was quite possibly the understatement of the century.

“Alright.” Sasuke directs his brother to where he can park outside of the massive building containing the pool. “The training rooms are on the top floor, so I hope that you like stairs.” He opens the door of the car, stepping out, before heading for the front doors.

"Sasuke, are you out of your mind?!" He blinks. "You aren't seriously going to climb that many stairs with me, are you?"

Sasuke frowns. “Well, if you want to take the elevator, feel free. It’s only six sets of stairs, though.”

"I can handle the stairs." He wasn't sure Sasuke could. "Alright, if you want to try this you can." Itachi still thought Sasuke was pushing his luck though.

“I can handle stairs.” His stamina might not be what it once was, but Sasuke knew for a fact that he could handle that many stairs. He’d already secretly done them five times already. “Besides, you don’t want to see what happens when I get in an elevator.” And he wasn’t willing to risk breaking down again, since Hinata wasn’t here. He wasn’t sure if Itachi would be able to control his claustrophobia.

"Alright." Itachi shakes his head and follows Sasuke. "We'll give it a try then."

Six whole sets of twenty stairs later, Sasuke was a little out of breath, but no worse for wear as they walk into one of the training rooms. “See, I told you I could do it.” He puts down his bag, pulling a bottle of water out of it for later, before scrutinizing the many metal bars running across the ceiling, anchoring the three dozen different weight-lifting machines to the ceiling, while the bottoms were bolted to the floor. They weren’t going anywhere unless Superman himself tugged on them. Even the treadmills, rowing machines, and steppers were bolted in place. In fact, the only things not bolted down were the hundreds of weights stacked on stands in neat columns and rows.

He blinks. "Well Hinata must be doing something right." His recovery rate was nothing short of exceptional. "I've never seen someone make that fast of a recovery, even a partial one." And the gym was amazing. "I can see why you wanted to come here. It's every fitness buff's dream." This equipment was definitely top of the line and they seemed to have everything.

Sasuke nods, heading for one of the larger setups near the middle of the room that seemed to take up the whole floor. Handles dangling from ropes, using a pulley system to attach it to the weights. It was meant to be done standing, a more complete workout that way, with an emphasis on the upper body muscles. He could do the treadmill later.

Taking one of the ropes in hand, Sasuke tests it for weight, adding ten, twenty, thirty, forty pounds before stopping. He could start there and work his way up. After all, this machine especially was about repetition. And he’d work almost until he dropped if he had to.

Forty pounds seemed excessive. "Sasuke, isn't that a little high." Hell, he wasn't even really sure about twenty to be honest.

“I’ll be fine Itachi, It’s not like I’m supporting all of the weight myself.” Sasuke knew that the pulleys would lessen the strain on him, and he could slowly work up to pulling harder and faster as he got stronger. “Besides, my legs are what were worse off, and the swimming helped a lot.” He moves between the ropes, reaching out for them and giving them each a firm tug. The weights move up smoothly, sinking back down as he releases the tension. “Usually, I’d be able to move more than twice this much, so this is starting off fairly easy.”

"We have very different definitions of easy." He sighs. "Hinata would likely murder me, if she found out I let you do this."

Sasuke rolls his eyes and scoffs. “Has a desk job made you soft, Itachi? Or does the FBI not have a gym of its own?” He starts pulling on the weights, first the left arm, then the right, and repeat.

"I can handle forty easily." he shakes his head. "It's you that I'm worried about."

“If that’s the excuse you want to go with, sure. I don’t see you touching any of the weights.” Sasuke smirks, hitting the fifth repetition, and only feeling a slight burn in his arms.

Itachi raises an eyebrow. "Childish, truly." Itachi hooks himself up to the same type of machine as Sasuke and sets it at fifty each. "Honestly, Hinata is going to have to be firm with you. Much like mother is with father."

Sasuke eyes the weights and shakes his head. “And you call me childish.” Like that wasn’t competing with him. Itachi was just as easy to goad sometimes as he was. Seven repetitions, eight, nine, ten. “Hinata is…plenty firm when she wants to be.”

"I have a hard time believing that." Itachi does some repetitions of his own. "The woman's entire persona seems to scream sweet kitten or cute bunny. Not that that's a bad thing. We all do need someone gentle in our lives, but you also need someone who will smack you upside the head when you're behaving foolishly."

Sasuke chuckles as he reaches his fifteenth repetition, his arms definitely starting to feel it as he curls them towards his chest with ever pull. “Everyone seems to think so, and it’s funny how wrong they are. It really is the quiet ones.”

"Yes, Sasuke. I’m sure that Hinata Hyuga puts the living fear of God into you." Itachi chuckles at the image of Hinata chasing Sasuke around with a frying pan or something. "Terrifying, I'm sure." Well there were two interpretations. The sexual one or the who wears the pants one. Itachi had gone with the latter.

Seriously? That’s how Itachi had interpreted that? Sasuke shakes his head. “And you call me the foolish one. That’s a very…innocent interpretation. It’s…cute, adorable, really.” Up to twenty repetitions. “And no, there’s no attempt to terrify me in sight, so don’t worry about me having a heart attack or something.”

"Always a relief to hear that." He chuckles. "Well I would love to hear you expand on this firm hand of hers."

Sasuke’s smirk widens. “Sorry Itachi, but that’s classified information. Of the HIGHEST level.” Like hell he was going to give Itachi actual details. Just…tease him a bit. Get back at him for all those years of teasing.

He chuckles. "Oh the HIGHEST level?" Itachi does some more repetitions. "Well I think I know what is motivating your astonishing physical progress or should I say prowess?"

By the thirtieth repetition, Sasuke arms really are starting to ache a bit, but it just felt like basic training again. Hard, but not impossible. “It’s more than that Itachi, and you know it.” Even if he weren’t motivated to get stronger for Hinata, he’d still be working away to regain his top form. “Though that will be a nice side-benefit.”

Itachi smiles. "Oh I know. I was just teasing you." He smirks. "Mostly."

“Like usual.” Thirty-three, thirty-four, thirty-five. Yeah…definitely starting to hurt. Fifteen more, then he’d make it an even quarter before heading for the treadmills. Still, Sasuke was determined not to wimp out too early in front of Itachi. “Too bad I’m not up to sparring just yet, or I’d be happy to knock you down a few pegs.”

He chuckles. "I wouldn't be a very good brother, if I didn't tease you." Itachi watches Sasuke with ever concerned eyes. He admired his brother's resilience, but if Sasuke ended up back in the hospital, well the kitten might turn into a tigress and use Itachi as her scratching post.

Up to forty-five reps, Sasuke knows he doesn’t have much more in his arms before they start to feel like jelly. So, steeling himself for second half of the fifth set, he pulls hard on the weights, using momentum to help him power through the last five repetitions. And there, he abruptly stops, knowing his limit is there. For now. Sweating lightly, Sasuke leans against the frame, breathing deeply and slowly. “Well, I got fifty of them, that’s progress.” He would have preferred to get in two hundred, but…he knew his limits. He would just have to make up for it with the treadmill. A few miles of jogging sounded like a good idea.

"Yes, that's very good work Sasuke. You'll be ravishing your little princess in no time." Itachi chuckles. "I know. I know. Highly classified."

Seriously, it felt like his eyes were getting the most intense workout by far. “Good to see that your information gathering skills are intact, Itachi.” Sasuke stretches his arms out again, and pays special attention to his leg muscles as he stretches again before taking on the treadmill. After all, they were in the worst shape when he was hospitalized. He’d have to be careful when running or jogging. “Now, are you going to run with me? Or just sit back and watch?” He climbs onto a treadmill, setting it for an easy slow run.

He shakes his head and gets on a treadmill. "Alright, but it seriously isn't a contest." Itachi knew that was a very real danger when it came to working out with Sasuke. Normally, he wouldn't mind but his little brother was still recovering.

Sasuke sees the look that Itachi gives him and grumbles quietly. “It’s weird, Itachi, usually, you’ve got such a great poker face. What happened?”

"My foolish little brother decided to make me an old man before I hit forty." Itachi shrugs and leans over to poke Sasuke’s forehead.

Sasuke’s eyes darken, and he resumes staring straight ahead as he runs. “…Because you thought I was dead?”

"Amongst other things." He sighs. "I can't lie. I still worry about you, but I trust you're in good hands now. Firm hands, apparently." He smirks.

Sasuke nods, acknowledging the joke. “…I’m sorry that I worried you.” It’s all he could say because…how did you apologize for making everyone believe that you were dead, when actually you weren’t, but it wasn’t your fault, and were kept locked up for a year? Especially when you almost died on purpose, trying to play the hero?

"It's not your fault, Sasuke." Itachi shakes his head. "You did the right thing, no matter how many prematurely gray hairs it might have given people."

“Well, I suppose that explains those bits of silver I saw earlier.” Sasuke glances over at Itachi’s hair with a completely straight face. “I did wonder.”

Itachi blinks. "You're joking, right? I was speaking of father and mother!" He blinks as he looks at his hair rather critically.

Sasuke stays serious a moment longer, before bursting out in a fit of laughter, running just a little faster as he’s buoyed by the surge of energy. “And Naruto used to call me vain…”

"You're a sadistic bastard sometimes, Sasuke." Itachi grumbles as he races along the treadmill.

“I know.” And while it surprised him that his brother would get so riled up over it, always being the master of sadistic teasing when they were younger, it felt good to finally level the playing field. “I figure that this is payback for all the times you’ve made cracks about my hair. But don’t worry, I’ll make sure to tell you when you do get your first gray hair.”

He rolls his eyes. "I'm sure that you will do so with great glee." Itachi shakes his head. "That's enough exercise for today."

As a few beads of sweat roll down Sasuke’s temples, he shoots Itachi a scathing look. “I’ve still got another mile in me, at least.”

"I would save some of your energy for Hinata." He chuckles. "That's quite enough for today."

Sasuke shakes his head, pressing the buttons to slow the treadmill to a stop. “Fine, but I’m planning on doing this every day, you know. And I’m going to swim later as well.”

"You are the most stubborn man that I have ever met." Itachi chuckles as he nods. "Truly, you are.”

Sasuke smirks, albeit, a little sadly. “It’s why I’m still alive.”

* * *

 

Hinata was enjoying her lunch break with Ino. Of course, the blond had noticed Hinata was wearing a scarf around her neck. "This place is supposed to have wonderful salmon." The bluenette smiles, unaware that Ino had noticed the lovebites that Sasuke was so fond of leaving all over her neck.

Ino was just waiting for Hinata not to have water or food in her mouth before asking the question. “So, who’s the reason for the scarf, Hinata? You didn’t tell me you had a new boyfriend.”

She blushes. "How did you get boyfriend out of scarf?" The bluenette was suddenly very glad she didn't have food in her mouth when the other woman asked that. She probably would have choked.

Ino points towards the top of the scarf. “Because there’s a hickey right under your chin that the scarf doesn’t quite cover. Besides, I would be a terrible best friend if I didn’t know when you have a new man in your life. So, who is it? I have to make sure they’re good enough for you, after all.” It was part of her sacred duty as the official BFF.

Hinata was surprised that Sasuke had been THAT thorough with his affections and yet, not at the same time. "Oh." She blushes. "That would explain it."

"He's definitely good enough for me. The man is a hero." Hinata pauses. "And don't go traumatizing him. He's already suffered enough and he's still recovering from serving overseas!" Hinata makes sure her voice was low enough so no one else could overhear her. "He was...well it's a long story, but very bad things happened to him over there."

Ino blinks. That sounded…very familiar. But where had she heard of… “Sasuke!?” Naruto had started broadcasting the news just to their friends, telling them to keep it quiet for now that Sasuke was back, because there was some really bad shit that went down. They all thought he was dead, but…apparently not. “Is it Sasuke Uchiha?” No way, that had to be wrong, right?

Hinata squeaks. "H-How did you figure that out just from that?!" She had made sure not to give his name. The Hyuga woman knew that much and then it clicked. "N-Naruto told you?"

“Yeah, of course he did, he sent it through our class grapevine with some warnings attached. We all know he’s back, we just don’t talk about it since it hasn’t appeared in the papers yet.” Ino figured that it had to do with Sasuke wanting some privacy while recovering from…whatever it is that happened over there. “Hinata, how in the world did you hook up with Sasuke Uchiha!?”

"That sounds like Naruto." The man couldn't keep a secret to save his life. "Well it's complicated." She blushes. "I'm not sure where to begin." It was a very long story and it was a relief in a way to tell someone. Well someone besides Naruto. "Naruto already knows though." She didn't really count that though. Hinata didn't discuss her relationship with Sasuke with her blond friend. (It was too awkward).

“Okay…how about starting with…where did you meet him after he got back?” It should be simpler just to follow the basic questions. Ino knew the who, and she knew the what, now, she just needed then when, where, and why.

"The hospital." Hinata bites her lower lip. "He's one of my patients." That sounded bad. Like the beginning of a lot of erotic films.

Okay, well that sounded kind of fun, but considering that Hinata wasn’t exactly a nurse, Ino winces. “He must have been hurt pretty badly to be doing physiotherapy with you. But…okay, so you’re his sexy doctor. When did that happen? Naruto said that he got back…” Ino does the math in her head. “What, two and a half months ago?”

"Well I don't know about sexy, but yes." Hinata does the math. "A month or two sounds about right." The Hyuga woman pauses and bites her lower lip again. "He was badly hurt, but Patient Confidentiality Laws and well the fact that I don't want to violate his privacy, prevent me from telling you just how badly hurt he was."

Hinata had way too honest a face, someone should really tell her that. But in this case, it was to Ino’s advantage. “…He was in really bad shape, wasn’t he? Your face says it all.” She sighs. The one she used to compete with back in high school had landed himself in the hospital after a tour overseas. It made her wonder just how bad it really was. Beyond the obvious ‘it was really hard to watch’ expression on Hinata’s face, of course. “Okay, so then why Sasuke? I mean, that’s got to be a lot of baggage, right? And what about if he goes overseas again? Is he being discharged?”

Hinata nods. "It's a miracle that his recovery is going so well." She winces as she remembers the first time she saw him again and how he could only manage four shaky steps out of sheer force of will. "He's on medical leave currently."

The young woman takes a nervous sip of her champagne before continuing. "He's been given the option of an honorable discourage due to the injuries he's sustained or to go back to active duty after he's better." She pauses. "He's being offered a promotion. If he goes back, he'd be based here and he'd have the military version of a desk job. They want to make him a Major." Another sip. "He'd be safe..."

Ino wasn’t surprised by that. Of course Sasuke wouldn’t take a discharge. After everything he fought through to get there, he was too passionate and stubborn to stop now. “He’s going to take the promotion, isn’t he?”

"I'd be surprised, if he didn't." Hinata nods. "He's quite adamant about it and it's here, not over there." He'd be safe. He had to be.

Ino hang her head over the table. “That’s Sasuke for you. As stubborn as Naruto and twice as ambitious, not to mention three times as smart.” Ino rests her chin on her hand, gazing at Hinata, watching the flush on her cheeks wax and wane. “He’s special, isn’t he?”

Hinata nods. "T-that sounds about right and yes, he is." Hinata smiles at that thought.

Uh oh, Ino knew that look. “Are you sure about this, Hinata? I mean, I know that Sasuke is awesome and all, but…if given the chance, would you marry him. I mean, he’s career military, he’s served his years and he’s not going to just stop here. Hell, I doubt he’d stop even once he’s got his whole twenty years in.” Ino knew that he was just that determined a person. “Can you handle that?”

She blushes. "We've been dating less than two months." It was a little early to talk about marriage. "He's not even fully r-recovered yet." The man wasn't quite ready to move beyond third base at the moment and thus, Hinata was reasonably confident that he wasn't thinking about walking down the aisle.

"I would though." She bites her lower lip. "That must sound rather reckless and naive, but I would." She sighs. "It's his dream and I want to support him. Besides, he's going to be here. I don't know what I would say if he was going back THERE, but he's not."

Ino knew that it wasn’t really a total guarantee that he wouldn’t be sent overseas again, but…she knew that look in Hinata’s eyes. “Well, that takes guts, I’ll give you that much. I don’t know if I could do it.” Then, she smirks. “Too bad, though, he’s got hair just meant for pulling. Such a waste…”

"I know. It's a lot softer than it looks." Hinata smiles. "I think the requirements are a little more lenient when you aren't on active combat duty." She giggles. "You should see Kakashi's hair. Definitely not a buzzcut. And…thank you. He's still...adjusting, but I know that he's trying." Hinata pauses. "Really hard. And I know that he cares about me."

Ino giggles as well. “Well, it’s good that he cares about you. Though…maybe this Kakashi just isn’t very good at following the rules.” She could do her research on the guy later, though, that would be interesting.

"Kakashi definitely marches to the beat of his own drum." Hinata agrees. "And so does Sasuke. Just in a different way."

“I’ll bet he does. Still…” Ino sighs, letting her head rest once more on her hand. “I hope he’ll be okay. We all wanna see him again. It’s been so long since we’ve seen his face that all I keep coming up with is how he looked in high school.”

Hinata smiles. "He still looks mostly the same. His hair is longer now though and he smirks more." She pauses. "But I think that he just does that because he likes to tease me. He's still the same Sasuke." Well mostly. "He's just dealing with a lot of personal demons now." And tries to devour her with kisses and lovebites, but yeah. Still mostly the same old Sasuke.

“I see…” Well, that didn’t sound good, but at least he was still their Sasuke. Proud and stubborn, and apparently rather happy at times, not so much at others. Ino perks herself up and smiles. “Well, I wish you two good luck. I imagine that you’re going to need it.”

"Yes, we will. But I think he's over the worst of it." She sighs. "One never truly gets over something like that, but he's getting better every day." Hinata beams. She was rather pleased Ino didn't ask for juicier details. That means she didn't have to look like a tomato!

Patting Hinata’s hand, Ino grins. “Well, I’ll give it a few months, and then I want to know EVERYTHING. Once Sasuke is recovered, I wanna know just how he treats his little princess.” She winks at Hinata, leaving no doubt as to what details she’s going fishing for.

Nevermind. "I-INO!" She was a tomato. A very, very red tomato!

In the booth next door, Neji couldn’t believe it. He’d come in late to the conversation, but never expected this! Sasuke Uchiha was back? He thought that the man had disappeared overseas and was missing, but presumed dead! The media had been all over it for weeks.

He winces at the thought for several reasons. First and foremost, Hinata was a shy woman by nature. Despite being a Hyuga, she had managed to stay largely out of the public's eye. Neji didn't think that she could handle being splashed all over the newspapers and such a fashion.

Not to mention, there was Sasuke. From what he gathered the man had suffered some sort of traumatic experience. It would be cruelty to subject him to the press. Though he had better watch where he put his hands on Hinata, because Hiashi Hyuga was not a man that would tolerate anyone "disrespecting" his daughter, war hero or not.

Finally, there was also Hiashi himself. He had carefully crafted the family's public image. He generally didn't like surprises and having Hinata's face on the front page would be a very bad surprise. He had to warn him.

"Thank you." He smiles at the waitress and pays for his meal, before heading off. "Damn it." Why hadn't Tenten or Lee told him about this?! He had honestly thought that maybe Hinata had given up on dating in general and now she was dating a soldier?! So much for his theory that Hinata had refused the matches her father tried to set up for her on principle. "This won't end well." He sighs as he heads back to the Hyuga Estate to find Hiashi.


	19. Chapter 19

Business and politics always went hand in hand. At least, that’s how Hiashi Hyuga saw it. Constantly negotiating, complimenting, solidifying alliances, and occasionally intimidating people. That’s what a successful businessman had to do to keep his empire from crumbling. He had long since learned that, and so had Fugaku Uchiha, another great business titan in the country. And despite the tragedy to hit his family, Fugaku had hardly wavered.

It’s why Hiashi both respected and loathed him at the same time. Competitors and rivals, and occasionally business associates when the time demanded it. He would love to absorb as much of the Uchiha holdings as he could. Alas…it was a deadlock, a flat and even power struggle. And that struggle is what kept commerce flowing through the city, the country, and the whole world, really.

Which is why the world never waited for him, and required Hiashi to spend even more time today closing a deal that would extend his reach into the South American market. And for that, he had been in a conference call with a Chilean ambassador for the last hour and a half negotiating trade deals and labor laws.

And finally…it was over. The English spoken in a fast and almost impossible to follow accent had come to an end, and the ambassador had just bid his goodbyes with the promise of paperwork to be drawn up in the near future.

Finally…he could have a break.

Neji comes skidding in with a halt. He waits until his uncle was done with the call and then decides just to get this over with. "Uncle, I have important news." He pauses. "It's about Hinata."

That was usually enough to get his attention. Hinata hadn't disowned herself from the family, but she had achieved a great degree of independence. And legally, well she was of age. There was only so much Hiashi could actually do at this point.

"It's good news in a way, but potentially problematic." He figured it would be best to try to soften the blow. "I’m not sure how to put this exactly." That was a bad sign. Neji Hyuga was not one to get tongue tied easily.

Hiashi frowns at his nephew’s sudden appearance and quick rambling. “About Hinata? What is it?” His daughter was very independent, more so than he would have liked. And damn it, she had still not yet chosen a suitable candidate to be her husband. He had presented her with plenty! At this rate, he would have to rely on Hanabi, who was still in university, to provide grandchildren.

"Well the good news is she's seeing someone." Neji pauses. "Someone with a respectable occupation and from a good family." Hiashi would probably have kittens when Neji told the man Sasuke's last name, but there was no denying that it was a good family. Having kittens was simply an old expression that meant freak out. Neji quite liked it. He blamed Tenten for saying it around him so much. The woman did like her British Dramas. Oh right. Where was he? Yeah. His uncle and cousin. This might not end well.

Finally! Hiashi had been waiting for Hinata to choose one of them for years. “Alright, and which one is it? What has she been doing this entire time? Vetting the list of potential suitors I gave her?” Honestly, his daughter could drive him mad sometimes.

Neji doubted Sasuke had been on that list. "Well I don't think so. I don't think that you would have thought to add him to the list. Though, you've probably met him in passing." Or at least have heard of him in passing. Surely, Fugaku would have mentioned his youngest at some point.

Hiashi’s frown returns in an instant, more…bemused this time. “I doubt that I forgot someone, I was very thorough in gathering up a list of candidates from across the country, and even some international choices.” Who could he have possibly forgotten?

"Remember, I said he's from a respectable family." Neji pauses. "He always excelled in school and he even was in the same year as Hinata at Konoha High School, but I think you would have automatically overlooked him because of his last name." Here goes. This could end very well over very badly.

Hiashi blinks, waiting for Neji to continue. It sounded promising, however the only person who came to mind was…no, it couldn’t be, the boy was dead, and had been for over a year. “Neji?”

"Uchiha." Neji swallows hard. "The younger one. Not Itachi." The lavender eyed youth pauses. "He graduated top of his class." Another pause. "You would have seen him at Hinata's graduation, giving the speech."

He didn't know how to say this. "He was declared missing for a year while serving overseas. I'm not certain about the details, but somehow he was rescued and brought back to the country." This next part was very important. "Sasuke went through something horrible over there and appears to have come out of it alive and with his sanity intact. Enough so that Hinata spoke rather glowingly of him to her friend."

Neji knew that eavesdropping was wrong, but he might as well admit to it. "I happened to be at the same restaurant in the next booth and overheard their conversation." He sighs. "Hinata didn't realize I had overheard."

The Uchiha boy…was alive? And involved with his daughter!? “I will admit that his name is prestigious, and his profession is respectable. I did not realize that he had actually survived, However…if he has been gone so long, under unknown conditions then is he truly fit to be courting someone, let alone my daughter!?” What was Hinata thinking!? Of anyone and everyone she could have chosen, it just had to be the brilliant, runaway youngest son of his arch-rival, who had soared through the military ranks, only to go missing for a year under very dubious circumstances. Was she out of her mind!?

"Hinata seems to think so." Neji sighs. "Apparently, they've been dating for around a month, but less than two. So it's a relatively new relationship." He felt like he needed to stick up to her to some degree. "If he was truly dangerous, I imagine she would know by now and it appears that he is getting all the medical care that the army can provide him with."

Still, this did not sit well with Hiashi. He had not seen the boy in years, and knew very little of his character to begin with. He could not be sure that the young man was right for his daughter, even disregarding his last name. “Thank you for bringing this to my attention, Neji. It seems that I will have to speak with my daughter concerning her new…fixation.” The Uzumaki was one thing, but the Uchiha? That was another game entirely…

"Yes, Uncle. Though I would urge you to take something into consideration." Neji smiles. "Sasuke had many admirers back then. He showed no interest in any of them." He pauses. "So it's very unlikely that this is a mere flirtation to him and we both know that Hinata is rather...shy when it comes to the opposite sex to begin with." He steels himself further. "So I don't think it's as mild as a fixation, a flirtation, or a casual attraction. I think the feelings are real."

“Perhaps, but that does not necessarily mean that they are healthy.” No, Hiashi would have to determine that firsthand. There was no better way to judge the truth than to see things for yourself. See everything. That is how he’d made it so far.

"Very well." Neji nods. "Though it would be best to wait until he at least physically recovers completely."

Hiashi takes that into consideration, finding it a valid point. “Yes, but I will still be speaking to Hinata about the matter beforehand. She may bring him when she sees fit, but she WILL bring him.” After all, if this was real, rather than a fixation, then he would have to inspect the one who may become his future…son-in-law…

"Very well. That's fair." Neji looks at him hopefully. "Though please don't tell her that you found out from me. She would likely view that as a betrayal."

“I am fully aware that this situation calls for both confrontation and discretion. If this were to be caught by the media, they would have a field day creating all sorts of stories about both our families.” And while some said all publicity is good publicity, Hiashi really would rather avoid the bad, or the scandalous. And a love affair between two children of the city’s richest men…that could prove problematic. The media could put a dubious twist on ANYTHING.

"Hinata is dating a war hero." Neji shrugs. "I fail to see how that could reflect badly on either family, but you're right. It is better safe than sorry."

“Yes…you may go Neji, thank you for bringing this to my attention. I will deal with the matter from here on out.” After all, Hiashi also sometimes applied the philosophy of ‘if you want something done right, do it yourself’. Well, this was a situation that called for exactly that.

* * *

 

A short while later, Hinata was curled up in Sasuke's arms as they were watching a movie. She wasn't really paying much attention to the movie though. "Ino knows about us, but she won't tell anyone." Not when she was so ridiculously physically comfortable snuggled up to Sasuke and worried about how he'd react to the Ino news. It was...quite a confusion mixture of experiences.

“Let me guess…she pulled a typical ‘I’m Ino, I know everything, I’m the Queen of Gossip, and therefore, I know who you’re dating before you even tell anyone’?” Sasuke probably should have seen that coming a mile away. “Looks like the secret is going to be out pretty soon if this many people keep finding out.” There was Itachi, their parents, Ino, Naruto, Konan, probably her two partners, Naruto probably told his parents, Kakashi…the list just kept growing.

She nods shyly. "I'm sorry. I wasn't going to tell her." Hinata blushes more. "I mean I was wearing the scarf and everything, but she saw one of the lovebites anyway. Underneath my chin." How did he even nip her there without her noticing?

Sasuke raises an eyebrow, before smirking crookedly. “In that case, I don’t think I mind Ino finding out. If people find out because they see my marks on you, that’s much better than just gossip.” In fact, it made him feel ridiculously proud of himself that, despite Hinata’s efforts, someone knew she was his.

"You're a little possessive." She cuddles against him. "I don't mind though." It gave her a secret thrill actually, but she probably shouldn't encourage him too much.

“Good. Though it’s lucky for any guy that ogles you inappropriately that I’m not allowed to touch them. That wouldn’t end well.” Still, he could definitely intimidate anyone stupid enough to try once he was comfortable walking around in public.

Hinata nods. "Very lucky." She really needed to keep Kabuto as far away from Sasuke as possible. "Well I'm glad you don't mind. You seem to be making great strides in your recovery, maybe we can just officially announce it to our loved ones soon. I mean...a lot of them already know."

Sasuke shrugs. “At the rate it’s happening, they’ll probably find out before that point. By the time we ‘announce’ it, they’ll be asking what took us so long to just come out and say it.”

She laughs. "Quite possibly." Hinata kisses him. "Are you ready for the media circus though?" She had tried to distance herself from the press, but she was still a Hyuga and he was still an Uchiha and that meant a media frenzy.

“No, and I doubt I’ll ever be.” Shaking his head, Sasuke give her a quick peck on the lips in return. “But I’m not going to have a choice. It’s not every day that the youngest son of a business tycoon runs off to join the army, goes missing overseas, is presumed dead, and reappears a year later.” He does cringe at the thought of addressing the press, though. “Kakashi would definitely make me wear my formal uniform for it…”

"I've never actually seen you in your uniform before." Hinata tilts her head thoughtfully. "It probably wouldn't stay on long after the press conference though."

Ah…and this was just one of the reasons he loved her so much. Hinata could be so naughty. “So, a potential uniform fetish? I can work with that.” Sasuke chuckles and pulls her closer, kissing her right under her ear.

She shivers and mews cutely. "Maybe, a little bit." Hinata blushes. "It'd probably look really nice on you."

“Mmm…then maybe I could stand to suffer it a few extra minutes, just for you.” He kisses her again, drawing out the cute little sounds she made. Made just for him…

Hinata smiles slyly. "And they say chivalry is dead." She squirms happily at the attention.

“What, can’t you read kanji?” Sasuke bites the lobe of her ear. “I mean, considering what I’ve got tattooed on my back, I didn’t expect you to think THAT.” Truth, justice, loyalty, and honor. Wasn’t that basically the definition of chivalry?

She moans at the bite. "It was more of a general saying." Hinata shivers at the feeling of his teeth on her ear.

“Well, I can think of a lot of things I’d rather hear you saying.” He smirks as he sucks on the place her pulse was strongest. Yes, a lot of things. Most of them variations of his name combined with words like again, harder, faster, and oh fuck.

"Nnhh S-Sasuke." She wiggles against him as she tilts her head to the side. "I t-think the scarves are b-becoming a bit pointless." He really did seem to delight in marking up her skin.

“Oh, so you don’t want me to kiss my name into your skin? Sorry, I must have heard you wrong.” He kisses her neck again, outlining the letter S on her creamy skin. “My mistake.”

She couldn't see the S. "Mmm you can kiss as much as you like." Hinata sighs in contentment. "Feels good." She didn't think he meant it literally.

“Good, it’s supposed to.” Sasuke’s mischievous smirk only grows. Suigetsu must really have rubbed off on him. He goes about kissing her until there’s a U, separated by a dot. Not his name, but…his initials. Her neck was a bit small to write his whole name on unless he did it in Japanese, and that could get…complicated.

"Mmm." She moans quietly. "Mission accomplished." Hinata didn't know how he could drive her this crazy by simply teasing her neck with his lips, but he could. Sasuke could probably make something as simple as handholding erotic though.

That’s when Sasuke heard a familiar sweet jingle from Hinata’s pocket, and stops kissing her in favor of looking down. “Looks like you’ve got a call.” And right in the middle of some nice cuddling too…damn it.

"Sorry." She looks at him apologetically as she answers it. "Hinata Hyuga speaking." It had been awhile since she had last heard from her father directly. Usually, he only roped her into a few public events that required "the whole family" and left her to her own devices or at least that had been the case for the past year. "To whom am I speaking?" So she hadn't recognized his number right off the bat.

“Hinata, it’s your father. I would like to speak with you, when you are available.”

"Well I’m kinda available now, though I do have a friend over." She kisses Sasuke's cheek apologetically. "Is something wrong?"

There’s a pause. “It is something better discussed in private. Please come home whenever you are unoccupied. It is important, however, not urgent.”

"Mmm well I guess I can stop by now. If it's important, probably better to address it now." She smiles at Sasuke and kisses his cheek again, looking at him apologetically once more as she sneaks in one final snuggle.

“Very well, then I will wait for you here.” The call cuts out, Hinata’s phone beeping with a dial tone.

Sasuke raises an eyebrow, but doesn’t protest the kiss or cuddle. “What was that about?”

"Mmm it was my father." She sighs. "He says he wants to see me about something important, but not urgent." Hinata sighs again. "Which means it's probably better to deal with whatever it is now. Probably just a charity event."

“Ah…one thing I liked about being overseas. No charity events.” Sasuke was certain that his mother would have dragged him to some, if he weren’t either overseas or unavailable. He kisses her forehead softly, smiling at her. “Well, better go and see what the old man wants, then. I’ll head to the base and do my swimming for the day.” He was going to skip it just for one day to spend the evening with Hinata, but if she had to meet with her father, he’d make himself busy.

She nods. "Alright. I"m sorry that cuddle time got interrupt." Hinata kisses him briefly. "I'll make it up to you later. I promise."

“I’m sure you will…” Sasuke smirks at the thought of the many ways she could make it up to him. And maybe he could return the favor.

Hinata blushes and quickly heads off to her father's. If she stayed much longer, she would probably end up with more than a few hickeys. "Good thing I have some more scarves in the car." She rolls her eyes as she gets into her car and drives off.

* * *

 

About fifteen minutes later, she arrives at the Hyuga Estate and looks at herself in her car mirror as she fiddles with her scarf. "It'll have to do." She blinks as she sees the S.U. "That...jerk!" Oh Hinata was going to find those damn handcuffs and get him back for this! He actually put his initials on her neck?!

Unfortunately, there wasn't much time dwell on that. Best not to keep her father waiting. She sighs and knocks on the door.

The large door opens slowly, revealing the Hyuga patriarch, himself. “Hinata, welcome home.” He cast a somewhat imposing figure, along with a stern countenance. But that was his everyday face. He wasn’t much for smiling.

She wasn't sure why, but Hinata felt like she was in big trouble. "Thank you, father." The bluenette pushes that though to the side and follows him.

Hiashi leads Hinata into the living room, sitting in one of the pristine white armchairs and waiting until his daughter has done the same to pose his first query. “It has recently come to my attention that Sasuke Uchiha, once believed to have died in combat, has recently been retrieved from overseas and brought back to New York. As one of his friends, I was hoping that you could confirm or disprove this rumor for me.”

Hinata mentally gulps and slowly nods her head. "It's true. He's still in recovery though." She pauses. "So no official announcement has been made."

Still in recovery, those sounded like the words of a doctor. “Then am I correct in assuming that you have had a hand in his rehabilitation?” If he had come back from overseas, then he had likely been wounded in some way. Physical therapy was a natural step in that case. It was not his first choice of profession for his daughter, however, it was respectable enough.

She nods again. "Yes, he's made great strides so far in his treatment. I'm sorry father, you know that there are laws to ensure a patient's privacy. So I can't really go into detail."

“Yes, of course, you must maintain your professionalism.” He regards her carefully, and with slight disapproval. “It has also come to my attention that you are romantically involved with your patient.” He looks at her pointedly.

Hinata winces. "I was going to tell you, but we wanted him to be well before we made any official announcements." Damn it. That didn't look good. Getting involved with her patient.

Hiashi nods. “That is a wise course of action in and of itself, however, I must ask you if you are certain that this is what you want to get yourself into. The boy is…likely not stable if he was missing an entire year.” He could only imagine the things that must have happened, whether it was surviving in the wilderness, finding a safe place with people to stay hidden, or…worse. Much, much worse. “Not only that, but you do realize that if the two of you go public, regardless of your personal reputations, the media will be on both our families like flies on a hog.”

"I'm aware of that father." Hinata sighs. "He's not the first POW that I've worked with. I fully understand the risks, but he's worth it to me." She smiles at him. "In business, sometimes you have to take great risks to make an even bigger gain. Sometimes, it works out and sometimes it doesn't."

Hiashi has to suppress a smile at his daughter’s quick tongue. It seems she had learned some things from him after all. Still…the boy had been a prisoner of war, apparently, that was not good. He knew well what that meant. “Judging by how you are defending yourself, I take it that this is not an idle infatuation.”

She shakes her head. "No. Our relationship is still very new, but the feelings are strong." Hinata glances at him warily. Not really sure what her father was planning on doing at this point.

“I see.” Well, he didn’t like it, but Hinata seemed quite firm about this one. So, that left Hiashi with one course of action. “When he recovers sufficiently, you will bring him here for dinner, and I will see for myself what the young man is like. If your apparent faith in him is well-merited, then there should be nothing to worry about.”

This time she doesn't bother to hide her gulp. "Yes, father. Um I know that you and his father have a...rivalry." Hinata hesitates, but continues anyway. "Is that something that you're going to hold against him?"

A rare, and ever so slight smile curls the Hyuga patriarch’s lips. “If your faith is not misplaced, then I doubt that he would allow something like that to stop him.” As well he shouldn’t, if Sasuke wanted to have anything to do with Hinata. A man who gave up too easily had no place courting Hiashi’s daughter.

That was a yes. Oh boy. "Understood, father." This was going to be a major clash. Her father was a glacier or a mountain. Sasuke was a volcano or a wildfire. "Is that all you wished to discuss?"

“Well, as it seems that the rumors are true, then yes, that is all.” Had she denied the rumors, Hiashi would likely have begun suggesting a new list for her to look at. After all, he did want grandchildren some time this decade. If Hinata waited too much longer to have her first child, it would be hazardous to her health.

She sighs. "Yes, Father I would like for the two of you to have a cordial relationship." That or at least not destroy whatever house they happened to be in when they interacted. This was going to be a clash of wills.

Yes, that would be best, Hiashi would admit privately. “Of course, however, I would not be doing my due diligence as your father if I did not inspect your latest suitor.” Especially one with the last name Uchiha.

"Father, he risked his life to save his comrades and the lives of hundreds of civilians." Honestly, how much more did he need to vouch for his character. "And then survived being a prisoner of war for a year with his sanity intact. Might your standards be a little high?" She glances at him.

“When it comes to who dates my daughter, my standards are never too high.” And besides, Hiashi thought himself far more civilized than those idiots of fathers who threaten to chase their daughters’ boyfriends off with a shotgun.

She shakes her head and kisses his cheek. "I appreciate your concern father and I love you for it." Hinata smiles at him. "But I"m 26, it may be time to let me make my own choices. I'll have him meet with you though."

“Good, I look forward to finally meeting this…captain of yours properly.” That was the Uchiha’s rank, right? That’s what it had said on the news.

Hinata nods. "He's a Captain now, but once he's off medical leave, they'll promote him to Major." She crosses her arms. "Apparently, the higher your rank in the army, the more likely you are to have a safe job. They're going to assign him to Fort Hamilton."

Hiashi nods. If nothing else, those were points in the young man’s favor. While he did hold high respect for the military, he would not approve of a suitor constantly running off to spend long tours overseas, leaving his daughter alone. No, that wouldn’t do at all. And the rank itself was not insignificant, it said much about both his character and ability. Still, he would have to see it for himself to believe it. “A young man with ambition and drive, despite his circumstances…”

"I would rather have him take the honorable discourage, but it's his dream." Hinata smiles. "And since he'll have a safer position, I don't mind." There was also the matter of seeing him in that uniform, but she wasn't going to tell her father that.

“I see.” Hiashi laces his fingers together and nods. “So long as you bring him here for dinner, informal, I will reserve judgment as to whether or not I approve of him until I have the chance to speak to Uchiha. Is that acceptable?”

She nods. "Very acceptable, Father. Oh..." Hinata pauses. "Please don't say doctors or needles around him. He gets... a bit anxious when that happens." Probably best to warn him about Sasuke's triggers now.

“Of course.” Hiashi knew that it would be cruel to trigger the boy. And from the sounds of it, he was likely working hard to suppress whatever triggers he gained after a year in captivity. “I suggest that you discuss this with him, and we can arrange a date whenever the two of you feel ready. Preferably before the media circus begins.”

"Yes, that would be preferable." She politely excuses herself, leaving her childhood home in favor of her car. Hinata knew that Sasuke would waiting anxiously for answers.

* * *

 

Well, he still couldn’t keep up with Suigetsu, but Sasuke felt like he was getting much faster in the water. His back didn’t pain him often anymore, and never in the water. And he smirks as he completes his fortieth lap in the pool. Now this was good stamina training. Made even better by the memory of what happened when he was here with Hinata.

Suigetsu laughs. "Someone's feeling perky today." It was amazing. "Something to do with the private pool authorization, I expect." How quickly his friend was recovering…Suigetsu had never seen anything like it before.

Sasuke stops swimming for a moment, rolling his eyes. “I’ll tell you the same thing I told Itachi. That’s classified information, Suigetsu.”

"Mhm." He winks. "Classified. Don't worry, I gotcha." Damn. Sassy must REALLY be feeling better.

“Shut up.” Sasuke sinks back into the water, taking off for another lap. Again, not nearly as fast as Suigetsu could, but still, he felt pretty proud of himself for increasing his speed as much as he had, and for being able to wean off of doing just a backstroke.

Suigetsu laughs. "Oh hey, Princess." He smiles as he sees Hinata walk in a few minutes later. "Prince Bashful over there is just doing a few laps."

His cheeks tinting pink for a moment, Sasuke’s head dips back beneath the water as he pushes off the closest wall, swimming back towards Hinata. He was still having some issues with holding his breath, since his panic attacks involved not being able to breathe, but as long as it wasn’t for more than about ten seconds, he didn’t have any issues. He could work on increasing the time later.

"You must have Sasuke confused for someone else." Hinata giggles. "He's many things, but bashful isn't one of them. "Sasuke?" She notices he had gone under the water.

His head pops back up, spikes slicked down as he finishes the lap and comes to a stop at Hinata’s feet. “Done with the old man already?” Sasuke had expected Hiashi to keep her all evening. But apparently, he’d let her go free.

She sighs. "Well for now. He says he wants to meet you for dinner though." Hinata looks at him apologetically. "But only when you're ready."

Hiashi Hyuga knew that he was back? How…wait, no, this was the old Hyuga, of course he’d find out before the story hit. Sasuke shakes his head wearily. “I can’t really say that this is a surprise…” Pulling himself out of the water, he shakes off a few hundred water droplets. “I didn’t expect him to find out this fast, but in hindsight, I probably should have.”

"I'm sorry." She sighs. "I have no idea how he found out." Hinata kisses his cheek. "But it's probably better we deal with this before the press does."

“Agreed…” Though Sasuke was NOT looking forward to butting heads with Hinata’s father. He had enough experience with one stubborn old man, he did not need experience with a second one. But it looked like he wasn’t going to have a choice. “A small, private dinner, I’m guessing.” A large public function would be a surefire way of breaking news of his existence to the world.

Hinata nods. "Dinner at my family's estate." She smiles reassuringly. "Just the three of us. Though Mother might be there as well."

“Got it.” That much, Sasuke was pretty sure he could handle soon. “Well, if I’m going to be mentally prepared to take on your father, it had better be on a Thursday.”

"I don't get why Thursday would make a difference?" Suigetsu blinks and looks at them in confusion. "The guy isn't going to like threaten him with a shotgun or something, is he?" He looks at Hinata.

Hinata shakes her head. "Father would think such things are beneath him." She shrugs. "Though a katana might not be entirely out of the question." The Hyuga woman kisses Sasuke's cheek. "Don't worry though. I wouldn't let him hurt you."

“That’s reassuring.” Sasuke chuckles, before shaking his head at Suigetsu. “Itachi doesn’t work on Thursdays. I’d rather have him on my team before going into this battle. I guess you could call him…the tactical adviser.”

Suigetsu laughs. "Oh come on. The guy's a civilian." He smirks. "How bad can it really be?"

“Remember the rules, Suigetsu, we’re not supposed to attack civilians.” That was an abuse of power, and could get a military officer into a lot of trouble. Sasuke would rather avoid that, if at all possible. “Besides, even if I’m not quite back up to full strength, I think I’m strong enough by now to at least stop an old man with a sword if I absolutely have to.” Not that Sasuke thought that he would have to resort to such a thing. “Besides, Itachi helped me survive confronting our father, I’m sure he’s got advice on how to handle Hiashi.”

"I think you might be overreacting." Hinata shakes her head. "But I'll make sure that it's on a Thursday."

Sasuke didn’t think so. With parents like their’s, there was no such thing as overreacting. He was just being prepared.

Suigetsu shakes his head. "Right. Well good luck, Sassy." He smirks. "Just remember to wed the princess you have to get past the Dragon Daddy."


	20. Chapter 20

Itachi shakes his head at his foolish little brother. "You must be ready to marry this woman, if you're willing to face down a man like Hiashi." He pauses. "He's perhaps the only man on this Earth that can rival Father when it comes to pride."

The relationship between Hiashi Hyuga and Fugaku Uchiha was one that would cause any psychologist (or behavior analyst like himself) to have a field day. "Well the traditional, Yes, Sir is probably a good bet." Itachi sighs. "Firm handshake. Traditional Japanese bows. That sort of thing appeals to him."

"And while I know it might be seen as a boast, I'd probably wear your medals." Reminding Hiashi that Sasuke was a war hero might be a good idea. "You've saved hundreds of lives. He should treat you with respect. Besides, if he was willing to tolerate Naruto, he should be more than happy to have you as a prospective son-in-law." After all Uchihas and Hyugas were far more alike than they really wanted to admit.

Sasuke frowns at Itachi. “You say all that like I CAN’T rival Father when it comes to pride. Didn’t you once say we were both too proud and too stubborn? Addressing him formally, fine. Handshakes, fine. Bows, maybe…” After all, he did have his pride, and he was not going to make himself any less than Hiashi’s equal. “But, it’s an informal dinner, I’m not wearing my service uniform and medals to it.” To a public function, a black tie event, sure, but not a private, informal dinner.

Itachi shakes his head. "Alright, but I still think the medals would be a good idea." After all, what Hyugas meant by informal and what normal people meant by informal were vastly different things.

“…It’s dinner with Hinata’s father, not a state dinner with foreign leaders.” Sasuke shakes his head. Those medals went with one outfit and one outfit only, his formal service uniform. He didn’t have other formal attire because he didn’t NEED it.

"Whatever you say, foolish little brother." Itachi shrugs. "Good luck either way. You're going to need it."

Sasuke rolls his eyes. “Anyway, those aside, should I actually expect him to take a katana off the wall and come at me with it? Because if so, I should probably be prepared for that.” That might actually be terrifying…for half a second.

Hinata pauses. "I don't think so..." Well at least not as long as he didn't see Sasuke's little Hickey Stunt. "But best to be prepared just in case."

“True.” Sasuke raises an eyebrow at Hinata. “Are you disappointed that you won’t get to see the uniform yet?” After all, she had expressed an interest in seeing him wear it.

Hinata blushes at the knowing look Itachi shot her. "Maybe, a little." She smiles. "That's okay though. It's about making you comfortable."

And making her father uncomfortable, but Sasuke holds his tongue on that point. “Hey Itachi, how much longer do you think I have before a reporter sniffs me out? Realistically?”

"Hmm. Not long." Itachi shrugs. "I'm surprised they haven't already."

That’s what had Sasuke’s nerves fried. But one step at a time… “Best to get the easy part over with first, then.” He could let Kakashi handle when the media finally got at him, assuming the the colonel could keep excitement to a minimum.

Hinata kisses his cheek. "It's alright. They'll calm down after a month or two." She smiles at him reassuringly.

Sasuke laughs wryly. “The easy part is your father. I’m still bad with crowds of civilians.”

"It's bad when my father is the easy part." She laughs and wraps her arms around his neck. "We'll figure it out."

“Yeah…” Sasuke wraps his arms around her waist, pulling her close and rubbing their noses together and taking in her soft scent. “Let’s just deal with Hiashi first. Katana optional.”

She blushes at the affectionate display in front of Itachi. "Alright. I'll call him and tell him we'll meet him for dinner tonight then?" Hinata gives him a stern look. "And play nice."

“I will if he does.” Sasuke smirks at her playfully, ignoring the looks coming from his brother. Itachi would probably tease him about it sooner or later, probably sooner, rather than later, but Sasuke didn’t care. He just felt like holding Hinata right now.

Hinata shakes her head and indulges in a bit of cuddling. "He probably won't, but I'll call him anyway." She takes out her cell phone and dials his number. "Father?"

Hiashi’s voice emerges from the phone. “Hinata? Is something wrong?”

"No. Nothing." Yet. "I spoke to Sasuke about our discussion. If you're available, he'd like to come over tonight."

There’s a pause, and some typing in the background. “…Yes, tonight is fine. I have no meetings scheduled tonight.” Usually, Hiashi used evenings for dinners over which he conducted business transactions. “You mother also looks forward to meeting him.”

"Great. What time should we stop by?" Maybe, her mother would be able to keep her father in line. "It'll be nice to see her again."

“Six will be fine. I will tell the cooks to be ready for your arrival. Are there any dietary restrictions that they should be aware of?” After all, due consideration had to be taken for someone still recovering from a difficult ordeal.

She glances at Sasuke. "Anything that you can't eat?" It was probably smart to ask.

Sasuke frowns. His diet had been slowly becoming better, but he still had some reservations regarding large meals. “Heavy foods still don’t settle well in my stomach, but I have no allergies.”

She nods and turns her attention back to the phone. "No allergies." Hinata pauses. "But maybe a light meal would be best."

Hiashi sighs on the other end of the call. “That is understandable. I will inform the cooks and leave it to their discretion to choose the menu. And I will see both of you for dinner tonight.”

"Alright. We'll be there." Hinata smiles and hangs up the phone. "Well I guess we should get ready."

“Right.” Sasuke reaches into the closet for one of the dark leather jackets that Itachi had foisted on him when he got out of the hospital. After all, it was informal, so being fashionable and clean would do for the evening. “Time to venture into the dragon’s den.”

Hinata giggles. "I'm so glad that you're looking at this optimistically." She smiles teasingly. "And if you're a very good knight, your princess will reward you greatly later."

“Oh really?” Sasuke sneaks an arm around Hinata’s waist, tugging her back towards him. “I think I like the sound of that.” Though he had to admit that being referred to as a knight brought up some rather…erotic jokes concerning swords, spears, and jousting.

"Good." She smiles and rests her head on his shoulder for a moment. "So be a good knight and then you'll be rewarded. Be a bad one and I'm afraid I’ll have to put you in the dungeon."

“Is that a threat or a promise?” He was definitely pushing it, but for some reason, Sasuke just felt really smug about being able to get away with this in front of Itachi. He was thinking more about that than dungeon implying small…dark…locked room.

Itachi chuckles at the sight, Hinata shaking her head. "Well it depends on whether or not you behave yourself tonight." She smiles at him. "But the two are not necessarily mutually exclusive."

Sasuke wondered just how much misbehaving he could get away with tonight, but pushes the thought to the side. Tonight was for facing down Hiashi. The knight had to slay the dragon in order to rescue the very naughty princess. “Good to know.” He resists the urge to nibble on her neck, knowing that it would be a dead giveaway to Hiashi. That, and embarrassing Hinata like THAT in front of her father would probably backfire on him spectacularly.

* * *

 

Hinata smiles nervously as they approach the Hyuga estate. "Please don't let this be a disaster." She didn't even realize she had whispered that out loud as she opens the door. "We can do this." She looks at Sasuke. At least she hoped they could.

Sasuke smiles and kisses her on the forehead. “We can do this. It’s just your father.” It couldn’t possibly be as bad as some of the things he saw overseas. It was just one man who wanted to inspect his daughter’s boyfriend.

Hiashi glides over to them wearing a white male dress kimono. "Father, it's so good to see you." Hinata smiles as she kisses his cheeks. "And you as well Mother." She kisses a woman's cheeks who looked like...well now Sasuke had a pretty good idea what Hinata would look like around age fifty. Hinata clearly took after her mother when it came to looks. The elder Hinata doppelganger was wearing a baby blue dress kimono.

"It's good to see you as well." Hiashi glances at Sasuke looking him up and down in a manner similar to how one might assess a thoroughbred horse or dog to see if they met the breed qualifications. "Welcome to our home, Sasuke. We have much to discuss."

Emiko shakes her head and smiles. "Forgive my husband. He takes a while to warm up to people sometimes." She leads them off to the dining room hall. "The chefs have prepared us a lovely meal though."

“I’m sure they have. And you have a beautiful house.” The words felt strange on Sasuke’s tongue, but saying them to this older version of Hinata wasn’t so hard. He could see why even a stern man like Hiashi would choose a woman like her. Beautiful, and with an unmistakable peaceful air.

She smiles seeming pleased by his answer as she sits down next to her husband. Giving him a subtle, though stern look. "So...you two have been seeing each other for about a month?" The woman apparently wanted to start off with a normal question.

"Yes, mother." Hinata sits down in an empty seat at the table and gestures for Sasuke to sit down by her. "About that."

Sasuke takes a seat next to her, opposite the Hyuga couple, and as he does so, the staff begin bringing in plates, cutlery, and what looks like the first course. His eyes drift to Hiashi, who continues to eye him critically, as though he had an x-ray in his eyes, picking out every detail in front of him. Sasuke knew that gaze well, he’d used it himself many times on ops. And it was nearly the same gaze he was looking at Hiashi with right now. A dragon and a knight indeed.

Hiashi nods. "Well...quantity is not necessarily correlated to quality." He bites into his meal and chews a bit, before swallowing. "The fact that you would join us for dinner this early would seem to imply that this is not a mere infatuation." He glances at Sasuke.

A mere infatuation his ass! “I’ve never been one for casual infatuation.” Sasuke eyes the light seafood chowder in front of him. It smells good, creamy, but not too rich. And having grown up with Fugaku as a father, he knew well enough which spoon to use for it, though he was tempted to use the wrong one, just to piss off Hiashi. However, he refrains.

"Yes, Neji says that you didn't date much in high school." Hiashi nods and his wife shoots him a disapproving look.

Emiko shakes her head. "Hiashi, mind your manners." That was very impolite and she wouldn't allow him to embarrass Hinata. Besides, he seemed like a nice boy.

Hinata subtly glances at the clock. At this rate, she expected it would be about five minutes before the two Alpha Males really tore into each other. "Father..."

“He’s not wrong.” Sasuke shoots a sideways glance at Hinata. He could defend himself. “I spent most of high school focused on academics, trying to please my father by reaching my brother’s impossible standard, until the end of junior year. Relationships were few and far between.”

Emiko sighs and nods. "It's horrible how siblings feel the need to compete with each other." Truly, it was something that had concerned her for a great while. Fortunately, Hanabi and Hinata were just so different in personality, the thought apparently hadn't occurred to them.

"Well that's good." Hiashi pours himself some champagne. "Far too many skirt chasers in high school." He sips his drink. "It's important to have priorities." At this point, it looked like Emiko was considering dragging the dragon off to the dungeon herself.

"Father, stop that." Hinata grumbles. "It's really beneath you to try to provoke him in such a way." Honestly, she had been more worried about Sasuke. It seemed like her father was the one who needed a few good smacks upside the head!

"If my memory serves, you were quite content to chase after my skirt in high school." Emiko rolls her eyes. "So don't lecture him about such things."

"Well that is because you had the most exceptional legs that I had ever seen." Hiashi's cheeks turned slightly pink, "Besides, you were the only one I was chasing anyway. It's not the same thing and Hinata, what are you giggling about over there?" Hiashi grumbles.

Hinata giggles at how uncomfortable her father looked. "Nothing, father. N-nothing. Sasuke has always been very focused though." She smiles and kisses Sasuke's cheek.

Sasuke smiles at the gesture, his eyes trailing back to Hiashi. It seemed that Hiashi had a few secrets of his own. “Well, I wouldn’t begrudge you that. After all, I would be tempted as well. Hinata obviously takes after her mother.” The woman was gorgeous, if…way too old for him. “But, he’s right. Priorities are important.” Sasuke wasn’t at all bothered by the comment, though to his amusement, both of the women at the table were as he tasted the chowder. It was good, warm and smooth, and…was that shrimp? Yes…good. “Which is why mine changed from trying to do the impossible, to reaching for my own goals, no matter how much of a row it ended up causing at dinner.”

"A row?" Hiashi looks at him in confusion. They hadn't started a row yet. "What do you mean?"

“I meant the one that happened the day of our high school graduation, when I informed my father that I would be attending West Point. He did not take the news well.” That would be an understatement. Sasuke had never engaged in such a battle of wills with the man before.

Hiashi's focuses on the new, more serious topic in order to tamp down his mortification at his wife’s preening after Sasuke’s compliment. "I see. Well I expect he presumed you would take over his business holdings as Itachi also pursued an unexpected career path." Fugaku had not been very pleased about Itachi joining the FBI to put it mildly. Hiashi had half expected the man to have a stroke right in the middle of the board room that day.

“He expected me to go to Harvard, take law, maybe business on the side. Though he was somewhat displeased by Itachi being borrowed by the FBI on a regular basis, I think that my decision was more of a shock. Likely because I had kept it quiet until just before I left.” And Sasuke still believed that it was the best plan. “He’s still not happy with my choices, but they’re mine to make, not his. I’d like to think I proved that to him the day I left.” Mmm…that was good soup.

"Yes, I remember that day well. He was…not good company that summer." Hiashi shakes his head. "Your father can have quite the temper. The only one who can manage him is Mikoto and even then I don't know how." Emiko giggles at that and words that sound familiar could faintly be heard being whispered into the Hyuga Patriarch's ear.

Hinata shakes her head. "That was a little cruel Sasuke, but I can see why you went that route." Fugaku Uchiha would never have let him leave without a fight and they all knew it.

“It was the only way I could be sure that they wouldn’t have time to try and convince me not to go.” He’d done what he had to, nothing more, nothing less. And Sasuke couldn’t bring himself to regret it, though he didn’t like making his mother almost cry about it.

Emiko nods. "Well I suppose we all have such moments with our parents sooner or later." She takes a sip of her own drink, making it look almost…ethereal, naturally graceful.

Hinata could only hope that he wouldn't try to keep some sort of secret from her of that scale to prevent a fight. "I suppose that one time it's alright." She sighs as she laces her fingers with his under the table. "Just try not to make a habit out of it."

Hiashi pauses and nods. "Well I suppose the past is in the past." He tastes a bit of his chowder. "I'm more interested in the future."

“Of course you are.” Sasuke squeezes Hinata’s fingers gently, reassuringly. This was why he was here, for Hiashi to scrutinize, try to scare off, and ultimately fail.

"Well I suppose you are obligated to know that if you upset my daughter in any way you will forfeit your capacity to sire any children in the future." Hiashi sips his drink casually, as if he had not just uttered the threat.

"FATHER!" Hinata gives him a dirty and horrified look at that. "That k-kind of threat is going too far."

Emiko inwardly groans. She didn't know what it was with men and their daughters. She doubted Hiashi would have done this if Hinata was a boy.

Sasuke’s mouth twitches slightly. He just had to remember that Hiashi was a civilian, and not worth the punishment. “Just a threat? I suppose that Itachi was wrong about the katana, then. Shame…”

Hinata coughs. "Dungeon." Honestly, she didn't know who was worse at this point, Sasuke or her father. Men and their peacocking.

"What was that dear?" Emiko looks at Hinata in confusion and Hinata sputters out something that sounded like nothing.

Hiashi raises an eyebrow. "You're certainly Fugaku's son. Just as cocky and you really don't know when to cut your losses." He sighs. "Well I can't fault him for bravery and if he made it into West Point, I can only assume he's intelligent as well." He didn't like it, but at twenty-six, he couldn't really stop them. "You have my cautious blessing for the moment. Which can be revoked at any time and that katana is not just for decoration."

“Thank you…Sir. I know when to cut my losses. It’s just not something I resort to often.” Sasuke finishes the chowder in front of him, laying the spoon down with a loud clink. “And I don’t see anything here that constitutes a loss.” He smiles sideways at Hinata. “Nothing at all.”

Hinata blushes, but smiles. "Very well. I hope that does indeed prove to be the case." Hiashi sighs as he kisses Emiko's cheek.

“It will.” Just to scandalize Hiashi, Sasuke smirks and tugs Hinata in for a soft kiss, ignoring the second course currently being brought in. That should give the old man something to think about.

"Ahem!" Hiashi was outraged at such a ‘bold display’ and at his own dinner table! Honestly! Children these days had no manners! "Our second course is here!" A not so subtle, get your lips off of my daughter!

The bluenette instinctively kisses back and smiles. Though she blushes as red as a tomato when she hears her father and breaks the kiss shyly. Sasuke was showing off, it seemed.

His smirk softening from mischievous to smug, Sasuke barely looks down at his food. Dealing with Hiashi was…different than dealing with his father, but he was taking a great deal of pleasure in this particular stand-off against a dragon.

The princess was his.

* * *

 

After the amusing, awkward, and everything in between dinner, Sasuke was still smirking away as Hinata pulled her car back up to her house. “I think that went well.”

She shakes her head in amusement. "I have absolutely no idea what I'm going to do with you." Hinata places a brief kiss on his lips before unbuckling her seatbelt as she parks them in her drive way and the Hyuga woman gets out of the car.

Sasuke follows close behind, wrapping his arms around her waist once they’re in the front door. “I think you said something about a dungeon?” It sounded an awful lot like something that would be in that book Kakashi had given him. “I mean, as long as you’re in there too, I think I can handle it.” He’d been kept in a locked room, after all, not a dungeon. He probably would have preferred a medieval dungeon, easier to pick the lock.

"As much as you do kinda deserve that, it wouldn't be fair." She leans against him. "Not after everything and you were on MOSTLY good behavior."

“Just mostly good behavior?” He nibbles on the upper curve of her ear. “I think you underestimate the fact that your father threatened to castrate me.”

"Mmm well that's different." She mews. "I wouldn't actually let him do it and we both know that you're stronger than him."

“True, but it’s still the principle of the thing.” After all, Sasuke was perfectly happy with his manhood intact, thank you very much. “Besides, I imagine you’d be awfully disappointed if he tried following through on that, regardless of the fact that I’d stop him.”

Hinata nods. "I would have...quite a lot to say about that." She smiles. "I do prefer you in one piece."

“Good.” Sasuke picks her up, finding that she weighs less than he remembers, or really, he just feels stronger than he used to. It was a good feeling.

She giggles. "Sasuke, what are you doing?"

“Just taking you upstairs.” And he manages it no problem, climbing the stairs with her in hand, all of his training paying off in spades. “I figure that you’ve had a long enough day watching me and your father glare at each other.”

The bluenette wanted to tell him to take it easy, but she didn't want to injure his pride. “Ah…such a gallant knight I have." Hinata smiles at him and allows him to carry her.

Making it all the way into her bedroom, Sasuke walks to the bed and deposits Hinata on it gently, as befits a princess…running with the jokes they’ve been making all day. “Well, I think I definitely like being called a knight by you, it’s better than the things Suigetsu calls me.”

She smiles and pulls him onto the bed with her. "I imagine so." Hinata lightly pins him underneath her. "Tell me if you feel uncomfortable, alright?"

“Alright?” Sasuke raises an eyebrow. Hinata was being a little more forward today. That was interesting. Not that that was a bad thing. It definitely got him going when she was less…shy about things.

Hinata knew pulling him down like that and pinning him had been a bit risky. "Good." He had been a prisoner or a year and might take it the wrong way. "Since you were on mostly good behavior at the dinner and were kind enough to carry me to my bedchambers, I suppose that I should bestow upon you, your reward."

Sasuke’s pulse jumped in an instant. Hinata was being sexy for him, he liked it when she did that. He liked it A LOT. “That sounds rather intriguing. Tell me more about this ‘reward’.” He shifts slightly underneath her, head propped on the pillows and the rest of him dipping slightly into the blanket.

"Well first it involves my brave Knight disrobing for me." She blushes. "Then both your robes and the blankets should be tossed into the corner for the time being. You'll have no need of them for awhile." Hinata couldn't believe she was actually doing this. "And then my gallant Knight should relax and allow me to properly care for his sword." She figured Sasuke would probably get what his sword was a metaphor in this case.

Yeah, definitely interesting, not that Sasuke was complaining. So, pushing Hinata off of himself a bit, he sits up, tossing his jacket off the bed, and slipping his shirt over his head. “It seems my Princess is very demanding today.” Still, like a good soldier, he obeys the order, shifting the blankets out from under him with some careful maneuvering, rolling them off to the far side of the bed.

"Well a Monarch should be decisive." She blushes. "Otherwise, they would lose control of their kingdom rather quickly." Obviously, the Hyuga Heiress had done this before. Just not with Sasuke. He probably assumed she meant she was going to stroke him with her hand again, but she had something else in mind. "You don't have to hold back, alright?"

The entire point was to make him feel good and she knew that he had likely had to take many a cold shower since they started dating. It wasn't that either of them was unwilling, it was a matter of overexerting himself. He had been through a lot, but if he could carry her around like that...he could probably handle getting sucked off.

“Alright.” He disposes of the pants, boxers, and socks next, having kicked his shoes off downstairs. Well, he could humor her for a bit if she wanted to explore again. After all, it had felt pretty good last time. He’d take the pleasure and be sure to return the favor later.

She smiles and kisses him. "Good." Well Hinata doubted there was a man alive who didn't enjoy oral, but she figured there was some slight variation on how they liked it. "I'm okay with bucking and I don't mind you getting off, but try not to choke me." She whispers as she moves down between his thighs and takes the tip of his arousal into her mouth.

Sasuke’s eyes had widened at her words, before narrowing as a hot, wet pair of lips descend on him, sending an electric shock tingling through his body. “Hinata…” His breath quickens as he wills his hips not to thrust so hard that he chokes her. Gently…gently…

Hinata smiles at the reaction and continues sucking. She brushes her lips all along the length of the shaft in a light kiss and licks the pulsing vein as she slowly begins to suck harder and even graze her teeth lightly against the sensitive flesh. it was more the suggestion of her teeth though. She definitely wasn't going to actually bite him. At least not there.

Sasuke’s head hits the pillow as he groans, hips trembling as they jerk upwards slightly every few seconds. “Nnngh, hah…Hina…” Yeah, that rule that men can only think with one head at a time? Sasuke was subject to that rule as well, no doubt about it. It just felt so good…

The Hyuga woman takes this as a good sign. If he couldn't even say her full name, he must really be enjoying it. Feeling emboldened, she takes more of him into her mouth and sucks harder, swirling her tongue around the sensitive tip as she does.

Hands clenching the sheets beneath him, Sasuke would swear that he was in heaven. Hinata’s mouth was an absolute delight. No wonder she was so naughty in her accidental love letters. She had to be with a wicked mouth like that. A knot of pleasure twists up in his gut, blurring his vision a little as her incredibly talented mouth brings him right up to the edge. “Hina, I’m-” He pants hard, what’s left of his conscious mind dissolving quickly into an incoherent mess as the knot coils tighter and tighter, before the pleasure shoots up his spine and down his cock.

She was a bit surprised when the taste of his essence was suddenly on her tongue. but Hinata didn't mind. After all, she had told him he could. She licks him clean. "Mmm my father would definitely kill you, if he ever found out about that." Hinata smiles at him. "So let's just mark that as Highly Classified information."

“Y-yeah…” Sasuke’s eyes open back up, gazing at Hinata. “I was right…you really are a siren…”

"That's very sweet, but didn't Sirens lure men to their deaths?" Hinata looks at him in confusion. Well he had probably meant it in the sexy way. "Nevermind. That was a stupid question." She smiles and cuddles to him. She'd kiss him, but Hinata didn't really know what his policy on that was after THAT.

Chuckling at Hinata’s antics, Sasuke’s body still tingled with a little pleasure as he strokes Hinata’s long blue hair. “Now…get undressed and let’s sleep. I promise that I’ll wake you up bright and early for work tomorrow.” He nibbles gently on her ear. “And it’ll be a wakeup call you’ll NEVER forget.” After all, he had to return his princess’ favor, right?


	21. Chapter 21

It was a little tricky, waking up before Hinata, but Sasuke had been setting his alarm clock lately, getting back into the routine of waking up early again. Which is why, as his girlfriend continues to sleep in a sexy white negligee that she’d thrown on before bed, Sasuke smirks and sneaks under the covers, turning her slowly onto her back, stealthily removing the lace from between soft thighs and tossing it off the bed.

Hinata had been sleeping soundly. It was hard not to when you were snuggled up to a sexy soldier who was willing to stare down Hiashi Hyuga for you. That was until she felt herself turned, but she ignored it, deciding that she was still just dreaming.

But, carefully spreading her legs just enough, he presses soft butterfly kisses along her skin, working his way towards the silky folds awaiting him. His kisses slowly increase in intensity, pride running through him as she starts to squirm in her sleep, trying and failing to close her legs and rub them together. Not that she wasn’t giving it her best shot. Sasuke was just…stronger.

Hinata also ignored the kisses, after all, she thought she was just sleeping. What she couldn't ignore was when the kisses became more intense. Then, they ceased entirely for a few long moments.

Face to face with his target, his smirk widens, and he runs his tongue along the soft, smooth flesh, dipping between the folds to target her clit, sucking it between his lips as he buries his head completely in her most intimate place.

Now THAT woke her up. "S-Sasuke!" She lets out a rather lewd moan that would have had her father ground her until she was at least fifty, if he had heard it and the Hyuga woman squirms. "Nhh! A-Ambusher!" She wasn't sure if that was a real word or not, but it was definitely accurate. "Oh God!" Not that she wanted him to stop. She'd probably smack him, if he did.

It just felt so good. She could feel herself getting wetter with every lick and every suck. Two powerful instincts warred inside her. Her natural shyness which told her to close her legs and the desire for well more of this feeling. Oh fuck! So good!

Well, it looked like Sasuke was delivering on his promise. He did say that he was going to wake her up for work in a way she’ll NEVER forget. He doubted she was going to forget this as he licks at the wetness dripping from her, working his tongue inside the tight, warm hole and rubbing as far as he could reach.

"Ah!" She squirms wildly as she feels herself get soaked. "D-Don't stop!" Hinata had thought his fingers felt good, but that was nothing compared to what this man could do with his mouth.

While his mouth continues to make love to her, Sasuke’s fingers take over rubbing and rolling the sensitive pearl that just begged for attention. The sounds Hinata made were so sweet…Sasuke could definitely get used to hearing those in the morning.

She whimpers, lost in desire as she writhes against him helplessly. "Yes!" It just felt so good. "So close!" So intense. There was no way she was going to be able to hold back much longer.

Having memorized her spot from the last time they’d done this, Sasuke withdraws his tongue, sliding his fingers inside and rubbing vigorously at both spots, inside and out while his tongue lapped up every drop that spilled out. She tasted so sweet…

Hinata screams in pleasure. "SASUKE!" She couldn't hold it back anymore. Her body trembles violently, her orgasm washing through her as she pants, desperately trying to catch her breath.

Half a minute later, the blankets shift, revealing Sasuke as he emerges from their depths, smirking smugly as he hovers over Hinata. “I told you that I’d make a good alarm clock.” His hair was an absolute mess, but he was still ridiculously pleased with himself. It looked like Hinata was a screamer.

She blushes. "Well that's definitely one way to wake me up." The Hyuga woman blushes more. "But not particularly productive. I think I’m just going to call in sick. Hard to want to leave the bed after that."

“Mmm…I like that idea.” Sasuke’s lips attach to her throat, trailing kisses down it and leaving very red marks behind. “But so naughty…you really should have a better work ethic.” He smirks as he tugs down the front of the negligee, pressing a kiss to one of her breasts, taking the nipple in his mouth and swirling his tongue all around it.

Hinata sighs in pleasure. "B-Better to call off. I won't be able to f-focus and someone could get hurt, if I’m not attentive." She gasps when he takes a nipple into his mouth. "And I h-haven't called off sick once since I started working there, so my w-work ethic is fine."

“Alright then…” He reaches over to the bedside table, where Hinata had put her phone before falling asleep. “Go ahead and call them. I’ll wait.” He passes her the phone, before lying his weight on her stomach.

"Alright." She dials the number. "Tsunade, I can't come into work today." Hinata fakes a rather convincing cough. "I think I've come down with something and I'd rather not expose my patients to it."

Sasuke covers his mouth, willing himself not to laugh at the sight of Hinata actually trying to lie convincingly to her boss. He couldn’t do that. Well, he was technically capable of lying, he just…didn’t. It was against the rules.

On the other end of the line, Doctor Tsunade blinks. “I see. Well, do try to get some rest. I’ll have Shizune find someone to cover your shift for today.”

"Thank you, Tsunade. I r-really appreciate this." Hinata feigns making sounds that implied she was close to vomiting. "And p-please thank Shizune for me."

“Yes, yes, now get to bed and stay there, I expect you to do your best to recover quickly. I don’t like losing my best employees for longer than I have to.” Sick her ass, the girl sounded like she’d been woken up with a trip to heaven. Tsunade wasn’t born yesterday, despite her still fairly youthful appearance.

"I'll try my b-best." Hinata coughs out. "Thank you." She hangs up. Well that was easier than expected. She'd totally bought it.

Sasuke sometimes wondered if his face was going to crack from smirking too much. That could happen, right? “You’re lucky that she couldn’t see you in person. You really need to work on your poker face.”

"It's hard to have a poker face, immediately after THAT." Hinata blushes.

“No, you’ve got a bad poker face all the time.” Sasuke leans up to caress her cheek. “But it’s alright, you’re just a very honest person.”

She leans into the touch. "Oh. Alright." Hinata blushes more. She didn't really know what to say after that. "So...I don't have to go into work and you don't..."

“Not for a few months.” Sasuke was technically still on leave until his sessions with Konan finished, and each week, they talked about a few more of the details of what had happened. It was never pleasant, but he knew that it had to be done, and he suffered through it because he was too stubborn to give up. “I suppose that I could do my daily training exercises, but taking one day off won’t kill me.”

"Sasuke, I know you're a soldier and used to following a set routine." She smiles and pins him underneath her playfully. "There is something to be said for creativity though, and there is more than one way to get exercise."

Yeah, his face was definitely going to crack from all the smirking. “Is that so? Well, you’re the physical therapist. Why don’t you show me these alternative ‘exercises’?” He really hoped that she was going where he thought she was going with this.

She bites her lower lip. "Well there are many different options available for your treatment plan." Hinata wasn't really used to initiating. The few times she had been the more assertive lover, it was generally after being asked to in a more direct fashion. "Maybe, we could start with flexibility and endurance training."

“Oh?” Sasuke considered himself to be fairly flexible, though that was another thing he was trying to regain, in addition to his stamina. “And what did you have in mind?”

"Well I want you to touch me." She leans down and brushes her lips against his ear. "Everywhere."

Chuckling, Sasuke lifts his hands from the bed, running them up Hinata’s thighs, over her backside, into the curve of her waist, and then onto her breasts. “I think I can manage that.”

She sighs in pleasure. "I think you can too." That felt nice. Very nice. "Such a good patient."

Hinata made it very hard…period. That’s what Sasuke decides as he runs his hands all over her skin, his lips attacking her neck, leaving bright lovebites. “Well, I think I’m being a very bad patient.” He squeezes her backside firmly, reveling in the feeling of her soft flesh.

Hinata mews at the lovebites. "That's okay. I'm a professional." She slides her hand down and grasps his arousal. "I'm not unfamiliar with less than cooperative patients, but you seem VERY cooperative to me."

Sasuke bucks into her hand, enjoying that familiar soft feeling of her palm. “Well, it helps to have a beautiful woman on top of me to help speed my recovery.” It seemed like every time she touched him this way, his skin was going to turn to liquid fire. It felt so good.

"Always happy to help." She leans down and kisses him. "So is that how you like it? The woman on top?" Hinata looks at him curiously. She knew that he had a thing for offices and like most men he definitely liked getting his ‘sword’ played with and sucked off, but not that much else. "Because I can do that...if that's what you like." She places a few soft kisses along his neck and slides out of her negligee.

His eyes focus on her face as he cups the back of her head and kisses her back. “I can appreciate a woman who can be strong when she wants something. And I can’t argue with the view…” His eyes trail down her body, taking it in appreciatively. “I just figure that the further we get, the more positions we’ll try, and eventually, it won’t even matter which way is up.”

Hinata blushes at the way he was looking at her. "Good to know." She had once said he reminded her of a lion and he definitely looked ready to pounce or be pounced. "Well, I do have the day off. So we can explore a bit." She kisses his neck a couple more times before moving onto his chest and going back to stroke his arousal in her hand.

“I like the sound of that.” Sasuke groans quietly as she plays with his ‘sword’. For a second, he wondered how she’d gotten so good at that, but quickly wiped it from his mind. Right now, that didn’t matter. What mattered was his hands on her breasts, squeezing the soft mounds and pinching the stiffening rosy nipples. How Hinata was so beautiful, he didn’t know. All he knew was that it was an undeniable fact. Beautiful…inside and out.

She smiles and scatters butterfly kisses and love bites along the expanse of his chest, while stroking him a few more times. "We'll go slow this time." Hinata leans down and kisses him. As appealing as the thought of letting him ravish her was, it was probably safer for her to take the reins. At least for a little while. "We have ALL day." She leaves a trail of kisses along his jaw. "So there's no need to rush."

Hinata slowly glides her already soaked womanhood against his arousal and guides him until he was positioned against her, but not inside her. "Let me know when you're ready." She glances down at him. Hinata couldn't believe that she was straddling Sasuke Uchiha, naked, and about to actually dominate him in a way. She could remember more than one girl from high school (even Ino at one point) who would literally kill to be in her current position.

Biting back a groan, Sasuke grabs hold of her hips, shifts slightly underneath her, finding a more comfortable pressure. “Cute, but I’m not that fragile.” Lust-hazed onyx eyes stare up at her. “Whenever you are, Hinata.”

"I’ve been ready for awhile." She kisses him as she slides herself onto him, moaning at the sensation of being completely filled. "J-Just wanted you to get better first is all." She wiggles her hips experimentally.

“Better…definitely better…” Sasuke groans as she wiggles her hips, finding it very hard to restrain himself for more than about five seconds before thrusting his hips up into the tight, wet heat. “Ah…fuck.” It felt so good…

Hinata moans as he moves inside her. "G-Good." She leans down and kisses him passionately, her hair surrounding them like the waterfall and the silky strands teasing his bare skin as she arches against him and begins to move against him faster. "Nhh!" She was suddenly tempted to call in sick more often as she felt his powerful thrusts inside her. It was going to be hard to focus on anything else after this.

Tongues tangled together erratically, Sasuke’s instincts were quickly pushing all conscious thought out of sight and out of mind. And, thrusting in at a slightly steeper angle, he searches through the haze for the place that would make Hinata scream his name.

"AH!" Hinata moans into the kiss. "S-SASUKE!" Oh God, that felt good. She rocks against him desperately, eager to get more of that feeling. He seemed to instinctively know where her spot was and at the moment, it was becoming rather difficult to tell where she ended and where he began. "R-Right there!"

His hips work faster, one of his hands sliding around her back to keep her right there in his arms. And though it was embarrassing to admit it, he knew that he wasn’t going to last too long. “Hinata, come for me.” He tilts his head, placing a kiss on her neck that he knows is going to bruise for a week. His…she was his…

Hinata screams in pleasure as he kept going faster and faster. She could feel his arms around her back and that only heightened her desire. "Ah!" Like he wasn't going to let her leave. It was possessive, also incredibly hot. "Fuck!" Her breasts and hair were now bouncing everywhere from the force of his thrusts, but Hinata didn't care.

It was hard to focus on anything else, but how good it felt to be moving as one with him. Everything about him was surrounding her senses. The way he looked up at her with those smoldering dark passion filled eyes. The sounds of his groans of pleasure. The contrast of his rough hands and soft touch. His scent and fuck! She was going to cum soon. She felt like a teenager again.

The beautiful, bouncing sight above him was intoxicating, and the feeling of Hinata’s muscles tightening around him was spectacular. Moments later, he could feel pleasure pounding through his veins as his stuttering hips thrust up powerfully into her body. “Hinata!”

"Sasuke!" And that was all she needed. "Sasuke!" Hinata was shoved over the edge and it felt incredible as she came hard and fast. At that moment, she doubted she could remember her own name, but she definitely remembered his.

Everything was kind of hazy, but Sasuke did have enough presence of mind, barely, to slide out of her and cuddle her close to his body, pulling the sheets back over them out of habit. “Mmm…Hinata…?”

Hinata was more than happy to return the cuddling. "Mhm?" She probably should have said something more profound than that, but her body was still drowning in a sea of pleasure. Profoundness would have to wait.

Despite the pleasure, he still felt…like this was something he had to say. “…I told you once…that you deserve better than…this, dealing with me and my demons, but…” He kisses her softly on the forehead. “I do love you. And that’s something that hasn’t changed.”

She smiles and caresses his cheek as she snuggles closer. "I told you that should be up to me to determine what I deserve and what I don't deserve." The bluenette leans over and kisses his nose. "And I love you too." The Hyuga woman then giggles. "Though your life will be much simpler once you realize that I’m always right and to listen to me in the first place."

Sasuke chuckles, the temptation to just lie in bed all day growing. “Yes Ma’am, I’ll be sure to remember that.”

"That's a very good soldier." She snuggles further into him.

“I do my best.” Sighing softly, he runs his fingers through her hair, simply enjoying the feeling of her presence. It was so…peaceful. She just radiated a sense of peace to him, and sometimes, with a hint of adventure.

She smiles. "You succeed." Hinata arches back against him. "I'm going to grow very spoiled at this rate."

For some reason, Sasuke found that highly amusing. “A spoiled princess, whatever shall I do?” Considering her family, it’s a wonder she hadn’t been spoiled rotten already. Though her father might have had something to do with that.

"I don't know." She smiles. "I'm sure that my brave knight will figure something out." Hinata pauses.

Perhaps this wasn't the most romantic thing to bring up right now, but still...she probably should. "And I know I probably should have mentioned this earlier, but I didn't expect you to wake me up like THAT." Hinata blushes as she remembers the best wake up call ever. "But...just so you know I’m on the pill at the moment."

As adorable as she knew that any children fathered by Sasuke were undoubtedly going to be, she didn't want her father to kill him. That and Sasuke was still adjusting to being home. Hinata doubted he was ready for that.

“Then I suppose I won’t have to expect Hiashi to come at me with a katana. Good to know.” Though it was something of a secondary thought, Sasuke figured that she was probably on the pill, or something of the sort. She did, after all, work in a profession where one could get their hands on things like that with less inconvenience.

Hinata nods as she runs her hand over his bicep slowly. "Well at least not yet." She smiles. "Is that something you would want though? Eventually?"

Hm…he hadn’t really thought about it much before, since his interest in women had been…fleeting, for the most part, and therefore he didn’t engage. Casual hookups were not his thing. Still, he knew that Hinata would like children in the future, and it wasn’t that he didn’t like them. They could be sweet or annoying, it just depends on the child. Still… “Eventually…maybe…I just…” How to put this tactfully, without traumatizing himself in the process. “I’m still damaged…wounded, and I wouldn’t want to hurt them by accident if I had an attack.” Fear. He was still afraid of hurting someone innocent. Was it really right to subject a child to that kind of danger?

"It's alright." She kisses his cheek. "I know that your situation is different than most people's. I didn't mean right now." Hinata smiles at him. "Maybe, later. Lets just focus on us for now."

“Yeah…” They could worry about that later. For now, Sasuke just wanted to feel Hinata in his arms. The distant future was just that, distant. The more immediate future was more important. And Sasuke wanted to enjoy himself at least a little before the shitstorm hit.

She smiles. "I love you." Hinata snuggles against him. "Maybe we should have listened the first time."

“The first time?” Sasuke quirks an eyebrow. What did she mean the first time? “Listened to what?”

She snuggles into him. "To fate." Hinata smiles. "Must have been fate that I got the wrong locker."

Sasuke’s expression softens, heart swelling with happiness. “Maybe, or maybe you were just too shy to go up and check to see whose locker was whose instead of gazing from afar.” He wiggles down, pressing his head just over her heart. “Doesn’t matter, though. I fell I love with those letters, despite my attempts not to. And I’m glad that you’re in my arms now.”

Hinata smiles. "That and you seem to quite like being against my breasts as well." She wraps her arms around him. "Though I suppose that sounds a bit less romantic."

“I must admit, I do like the pillows very much.” He cuddles them with a grin. “Soft and warm…just how I like them.” And good at chasing away the nightmares.

“Only the finest pillows will do for my favorite patient." She smiles and runs her fingers through his hair as she blushes slightly.

Sasuke hums contentedly, enjoying the warmth and touches. Maybe another nap would be a good idea, after all, he wasn’t going to be leaving bed any time soon. Suigetsu would figure out why, and if he didn’t get why Sasuke didn’t show up today, Kakashi would probably enlighten the idiot. That is, if he wasn’t already having his own fun with Karin today.

Hinata yawns cutely and seems to have had a similar idea. She snuggles even closer to him and slowly closes her eyes, softly drifting off to sleep.

* * *

 

Hours later, Sasuke wakes up to his phone freaking out on the bedside table. And still half asleep, he reaches for it, checking to see the text message. It was a newspaper article. Clicking the link, Sasuke’s phone brings up a single headline.

**_Back From The Dead? Missing Uchiha Spotted In New York City!_ **

He stares at the article for just a few seconds, cursing the picture that showed him leaving Fort Hamilton. Someone must have been looking for a scoop in the area, snapped the picture, hoping to catch a story about the military, and ended up with a photo of him. “Damn it.”

Hinata wakes up and hears her lover swearing. "Sasuke, what's wrong?" Why was he swearing? He had seemed rather content after making love and falling asleep together.

“Itachi texted me…” Sasuke slides her his phone with the article still displayed on it. “They found me.”

She winces. "Well it was going to come out eventually." Hinata sighs and kisses his cheek. "We'll get through this."

“We will…I’m just not looking forward to being pushed in front of the cameras.” His father may have been fine with it, but he hated having that much focused attention on him. Especially since he could already see that some of the questions were going to be very uncomfortable. “And Kakashi is going to make me wear my uniform…” And not the comfortable one, either. He sighs heavily. “Well, at least you’ll get to see it, then.”

Hinata nods. "That's right. Look on the bright side." She smiles at him. "And I’ll get to take it off too!"

“That’s true.” Sasuke smirks at his lover. “You’ll probably enjoy seeing me all dressed up.” It definitely wasn’t something that happened often. And he got more than a few looks from women on those rare occasions that he did.

"I'm sure I will." She smiles. "So try not to worry about it too much."

“That’s kind of asking the impossible, but I’ll try.” After all, how could he not be worried? What if he had a panic attack in front of an entire room of reporters, asking all sorts of questions, some of which he couldn’t answer, and others that he wouldn’t be able to without breaking down.

She shakes her head and sits in his lap on the bed, straddling his lap suggestively. "I'll be right there with you." Hinata kisses him. "I promise." She brushes her lips against his neck. "And if really that worried, I can always distract you."

Now that sounded like fun. “I think I’d like that very much.” Sasuke’s hands travel up her hips as he smirks at the wondrous sight. “A distraction sounds perfect right about now.” After all, they still had the rest of the day together. Kakashi could wait to call until tomorrow.


	22. Chapter 22

Kakashi shakes his head at the New York Times. The issue had come out days ago, and half the papers in the country were picking up on the story now, speculations flying about concerning Sasuke’s supposed return to the states. “Well, this is about what I expected to happen. Although I’m glad it took them this long to spot him.” He was paying a visit to the FBI, since this could prove to be a bit of a PR and security mess. Plus, he figured that Itachi had every right to be involved in a media scandal involving his little brother.

"I am as well." Itachi sighs. "We should have expected someone would see him coming in and out of the base or at the hospital at least." Now, they just needed to figure out what to do about it.

Well, there were two options, really. Hide him, or… “I did not want to expose him to the media so soon, but we may not have a choice, since they’ll likely start demanding to see him, or take even more drastic measures in order to get the story.” Kakashi had seen reporters do some terrifying things in order to break a story, especially one that could establish their career.

Itachi sighs. "At least his physical recovery has gone quite well." He pauses. "It might be better just to rip the band-aid off."

“Yes. Sasuke knows what to expect, even if he doesn’t like it.” Kakashi chuckles at the thought of the look on Sasuke’s face when he’ll have to put on that uniform. It was funny every time. “Tomorrow, late in the morning would probably be best.” That way, it would give Sasuke time to brace himself, but not so much time that too many media outlets would be able to make it. He envisioned a few dozen people, if they were lucky.

"That would be best." Itachi nods. "Well if nothing else, Hinata might be able to keep him calm...ish."

That makes Kakashi laugh even hard. “Yes, I imagine that she has been keeping him quite…distracted.” After all, Sasuke hadn’t shown up for one of his training days, and it didn’t take Kakashi many brain cells to realize what had happened. It was confirmed when he called Tsunade, just to be sure.

The elder Uchiha brother nods. "Mhm. I imagine so as well." He smirks. "Though I can't blame the man. If anyone is in need of a beautiful woman to distract him, it's him."

“Yes, he certainly is…” Kakashi shoots Itachi a sideways smirk. “However, Suigetsu and Sasuke are still somehow convinced that Kisame should be found somewhere in your bed. I can’t imagine how you would hide the man, he’s a giant. However, I must wonder if you simply haven’t found the right lady, or if you really are hiding the jolly blue giant somewhere in your bed.

Itachi rolls his eyes. "And I wonder why it concerns you who is or who isn't in my bed." He supposed he should have seen that coming though. When one brother paired off, the other brother was naturally expected to follow suit. "One could very easily get the wrong idea and think that you were jealous of his potential familiarity or lack of with my bed."

Kakashi shrugs. “Simple curiosity. After all, it is quite the subject of debate at the base. At first, it was only Sasuke and Suigetsu, but Karin and Jugo have also recently joined in as well, and I believe that they are planning on starting a betting pool.”

"You're...joking." Military personnel were betting on his love life? "They aren't seriously betting on it. I understand my foolish little brother doing it and his friends, but the rest of the base?!" Itachi flails.

“Of course not.” Kakashi smirks widely, winking at Itachi. “Just a small part of the platoon. The rest of the base don’t know you or your history well enough to make a call one way or the other.”

That was slightly better. "Do I even want to know how the pool is going?" Maybe, it was better not to know.

“Probably not the specifics. Though, there was a suggestion by Karin that you would join Konan’s current threesome.” Kakashi had been surprised and amused by that particular thought. “Jugo believes that you’re just a very private person, and therefore, looking for ‘the one’. A dozen others have just been weighing in as Sasuke and Suigetsu tell stories about you.”

Itachi blinks. "I'm not certain that Konan's lovers would ever allow a fourth person in that relationship." And the idea had never occurred to him. Idly, he wonders how the mechanics of such a relationship worked, but he shoos that thought away in favor of listening to the rest of the question. "Well Jugo has always struck me as the more sensible of the lot."

“Perhaps, though at least on one point, Sasuke and Suigetsu agree. You would make for a beautiful bottom.” Maybe Kakashi was pushing it, okay, he was definitely pushing it, but it’s not like they were wrong. Itachi was a very attractive man. There was nothing wrong with having positioning preferences.

"I am disturbed by how much my brother ponders the matter of my sex life and when he is fully recovered, I shall beat some sense into him." He rolls his eyes so hard that he thought he might strain them.

“Yes, well, for now, your job is likely to help him prepare himself for tomorrow. He’s going to hate it, I promise.” Ah, Kakashi did so love causing trouble, to an extent, of course. If he overstepped his bounds, even he would get in trouble. And his eccentricities already stretched the toleration of his own superiors.

Itachi nods. "Understood. It should prove most entertaining to see him fidget in his uniform."

“I’ll be sure to take pictures.” And Kakashi would be able to use those pictures later to embarrass Sasuke. A perfect plan. Besides, what was one more camera at a media event?

Itachi smirks. "Good man." This would prove to be quite entertaining. "And as they're never going to cease whispering about the matter, no Kisame is not my lover. Nor should they assume that he would have been the aggressor in any imaginary relationship merely because he's...bigger." Itachi pauses. "And that was a reference only to his height. We do not participate in silly games like comparing sizes."

“I see.”Kakashi chuckles. “In that case, I will inform Sasuke and Suigetsu that they are mistaken, and that Jugo and I have won the pot.”

"You...were in on it?!" He had expected such behavior from Taka, but Kakashi was supposed to be a respectable commanding officer. "...what did you bet?"

“That you were not in such a relationship with the giant blue shark man. However, that when it comes to positions, I am certain that whichever you preferred, you would do well.” There’s a twinkle in his steely eyes as he regards the agent. “Jugo said much the same, though I will not ask. I will respect your privacy a little.” Only a little.

"I see." Itachi rolls his eyes again. "Such a gentleman." Wonderful. "Well at least now most of the speculation should be at an end."

“Well, this round of speculation will be. I’m sure that Sasuke and Suigetsu will come up with something else in due time.” Of that, Kakashi had no doubt. “Would you like me to send you pictures of tomorrow’s press conference?” For blackmail purposes, of course.

"Yes, pictures. I shall be there as well. Sasuke is going to need all the support he can get." Itachi sighs.

Kakashi nods. “Then I will see you tomorrow, Agent Uchiha. I will inform Sasuke about this shortly, give him time to prepare.” He heads for the door, looking back over his shoulder. “Oh, and Itachi, try to relax a little. You’ll only wind yourself up if you don’t slow down and take a breath.” And with that, the colonel disappears through the door.

Relax? His baby brother had PTSD and was about to do a press conference! "How am I supposed to relax when I know the iceberg is coming…?" He sighs into the empty office.

* * *

 

Still holed up in Itachi’s apartment that morning, Sasuke was not happy about this. He felt stiff in his uniform, and the medals felt like a spotlight, though the patches on his arms were comforting. Patches from his unit and deployment. Though the hat made him feel kind of silly, though at least it would protect him from the sun.

Kakashi had warned him yesterday afternoon that they were going to be tossing him in front of the media, which meant, of course, that he’d had to pull his uniform out and make himself presentable. He actually missed the damn civilian clothes. And he dreaded the questions they were undoubtedly going to ask.

Almost instinctively, he goes to pull behind his ear. It works, but only just, seeing as his hair had been cropped short last night. Not as severe as it used to be, but still within regulations, if…just barely.

He looked…respectable in the dark blue service uniform. He had to give himself that much. Though Sasuke hoped that the collar wouldn’t choke him while he was answering whatever he was expected and allowed to answer. Kakashi had also briefed him on what was still classified, and what would be allowed to be said to the public. Much of it was up to his discretion, but certain details, of course, would have to be left out for the sake of national security.

Itachi sighs and hugs Sasuke. "It's okay. Just think of it this way." He smiles at his foolish little brother slyly. "The sooner you answer their questions, the sooner you can get back to your Hyuga Princess."

Sasuke rolls his eyes. “You’re not the one answering the questions, Itachi.” Still, he doesn’t protest the hug, even if it makes him feel like a kid.

"Actually your commanding officer had the unmitigated gall to interview me about my sex life." He rolls his eyes again. "Something about you starting a betting pool. Really, Sasuke?"

Whoops. “Uh…” How was Sasuke supposed to say something without lying? “You…heard some things?”

"Childish, Sasuke. Truly." He sighs. "I'm not dating Kisame."

“Dammit.” That means he lost the bet. He was so sure that those two had had sexual tension between them for…well, ever!

He shakes his head. "And I still don't know why you think that I would be the more...docile partner, if I was with a man anyway."

Sasuke rolls his eyes. “Never mind, Itachi, I already lost, so quit harping.” He looks at himself in the mirror again, still frowning over his appearance. He thought he looked respectable, everything was done by the book, okay, well, mostly, but…what would the public see?

"You're worse than Great Uncle Madara with your preening." Itachi drags him off.

Sasuke twists his arm so that Itachi’s grip doesn’t wrinkle the fabric. “It’s not preening! I’m…” He bites his lip. “I’m just trying not to look like an ass in public.” That was not an option while in uniform.

Itachi shakes his head. "As always, you look exceptional. There is a reason why the girls all threw themselves at you." He sighs. "Besides, after what you've been through it's amazing that you're not curled up in a little ball and actually coherent. Your story is an inspiration, Sasuke. Now, go get this over with."

It wasn’t an inspiration…it was a nightmare, he was just really good at hiding that. And he didn’t want to be curled up in a ball, he refused to let that happen again. “I hate this…”

"I know, but the sooner you get it over with the better." Itachi looks at him sympathetically.

He knew that, Sasuke knew that well. But that didn’t mean he had to like it. “Doesn’t make it any easier.” Itachi finally releases his arm at the car. Though he’s not sure if that’s going to make it easier to go or not as he opens the passenger side door.

Itachi sighs. "Just do your best. You know that we'll be here for you when it's over." He watches his little brother anxiously as he slides into the driver’s seat. This was going to be a hard day.

* * *

 

Sasuke honestly preferred the graduation speech in high school to this. Kakashi was used to talking to people, he…wasn’t, not so much. Which is precisely why he was covertly glaring as Kakashi spoke at the podium, set up in the private assembly hall the colonel had selected for this circus. Something that Kakashi insisted was for Sasuke’s own good. Of course, he couldn’t glare overtly at his commanding officer. No, he had to present a serious and respectable image of strength. Not glare at his colonel like an angry child.

"Now, Captain Uchiha will explain everything else to the best of his ability." Kakashi smiles at the crowd. "Please do keep in mind there are some things that Sasuke can't tell you because of their classified nature, and do treat him with respect." He sighs. "The man has been through a great ordeal and I don't think anyone wants to believe that the press is incapable of conducting themselves as anything other than a pack of starving hyenas."

Well, that was one way to put it. Sasuke could see the reporters chomping at the bit to ask their questions as he steps slowly towards the podium. He really didn’t want to do this, but he’d suffer it for a little while. Which…probably meant two hours.

Still, he appreciated the pat on the shoulder as he took Kakashi’s place at the podium.

Hinata had kept her word. She was in the crowd towards the front. Well right behind the press though. To be fair, they probably would have smothered her, if she moved an inch forward.

Sasuke catches sight of Hinata out of the corner of his eye, smiling ever so slightly, before his eyes skirt over the crowds of eager reporters trying to get his attention. Spotting one who looks a little more composed, he nods to her, willing to take a question.

"Where have you been all this time?" The reporter looks at him with eager eyes. "You were reported MIA over a year ago."

Right into the fun stuff. Great. Sasuke breathes steadily, holding back the more specific memories. “I was put out of commission after an operation overseas, in which I was isolated from our forces, and pulled from the rubble, before being held captive in another facility.” That was the most accurate way to explain the situation, if glossing over certain details, like the base infiltration and explosion.

"You were a prisoner of war then!" Another reporter blurts out and Hinata gives him a dirty look. "How did you escape?!" Which he either didn't notice or didn't care about.

Sasuke suppresses a cringe perfectly. “A task force including members from several agencies, as well as military personnel happened upon me some time ago and proceeded with a rescue operation upon confirming my identity.”

"How long have you been back?" Another member of the press shouts out.

“Eighty-two days.” It was easier just to count the days, once Sasuke had gotten his hand on a calendar. It also told him that he had been imprisoned for three hundred and sixty-nine days.

A ditzy looking reporter blinks. "Almost three months?!" They looked amazed. "And no one knew! That's incredible!"

Sasuke’s eyes find Hinata for a moment, focusing on her and willing himself not to have a panic attack. “I was recovering in the hospital for the first month, attending daily physiotherapy before being released. And the past two months have seen me spending most of my time at home or at Fort Hamilton, where I have continued physical rehabilitation.”

The questions continued fast and furious for the better part of an hour and a half, asking him about his position as a Captain, what that entailed, the road getting there, what his plans going forward were. Eventually, they even started to get personal, really personal. Though perhaps that was only to be expected.

"Alright. Alright." Kakashi steps in when they decide to ask if he had a ‘sweetheart’. "That's not what this press conference is about."

Sasuke glances at Kakashi gratefully. He was already uncomfortable answering questions about where he had been, what he’d been doing the last few months, and what he planned to do in the future, he did not need to be answering questions about his love life.

There was a lot of protest and grumbling over that, but no one wanted to face the wrath of Kakashi! "Good. Well this press conference is adjourned." He smiles. "Thank you for coming and have a wonderful evening."

Sasuke sighs in relief as the reporters reluctantly start getting up to leave. Some of them start inching back towards him, likely trying to get a more personal interview out of him. Luckily, there’s an FBI agent here to do security, if need be.

Itachi shakes his head, having had enough of it as well. "Come, Sasuke." He smiles at him. "Let's get you out of here."

“Yeah.” Sasuke’s head spins a little as he tries to keep his footsteps steady as he walks over to Itachi. He really didn’t want to be here anymore. His hands were shaking, and he just wanted to get away from all of the eyes still on him, despite Kakashi shooing them out.

He nods and sneaks Sasuke off. "You did very well." He smiles at him reassuringly as he drives Sasuke back to his apartment.

Sasuke breathes much easier when they’re well out of sight of the assembly hall, pulling his hat off and leaning his head back against the headrest of the passenger seat. “I hated that.”

"I know you do." He smiles at him. "But the worst of it should be over now."

Hopefully, but Sasuke wasn’t too sure as he prepares to take refuge back inside Itachi’s place. “At least now I’ll be able to concentrate on training and getting back on active duty.” And probably running away from reporters for a couple of months. “Is Hinata coming?”

"Yes, she's coming." Itachi smiles at him. "I told you the sooner you got that over with, the sooner you could see your Princess. I'm many things, but a liar isn't one of them." He pokes Sasuke's forehead as he drives them back.

Sasuke rolls his eyes, rubbing his forehead as he smirks at Itachi. “Not a liar, huh? You practicing for the military?”

"Dear God no." Itachi pulls them into their driveway a few minutes later. "I respect that your career path is different than mine, but after what happened to you...the only way I'm joining that institution is if I die and they reanimate my corpse."

“Well, then let’s hope that no one can turn you into a zombie, because I think you’d cry without your ponytail.” Sasuke smirks over at his big brother. “I swear it’s almost down to your ass.”

“You’re just jealous that both my hair and my ass are nicer than yours.” Itachi raises a hand to poke Sasuke in the forehead. “Though it seems that your princess hasn’t found anything to complain about.”

“And you say I preen…” Sasuke shakes his head and gets out of the car, heading for the door. “Definitely more vain than I ever was.”

"Oh it's not preening. It's natural beauty." Itachi smirks.

Sasuke steps through the door, shaking his head. “You’re still vain, Itachi.” Honestly, sometimes he couldn’t believe that his older brother was in the FBI. He never seemed…serious enough for it whenever they were together. Sadistic enough, sure, but Itachi liked to joke around and treat him like a kid, it was weird.

He shrugs. "I prefer to think of it as realistically confident." Itachi smiles as they head inside.

And, suffering the formal uniform longer than he would like, Sasuke waits ten whole minutes in the living room for Hinata to arrive. Every second felt like an hour, and his earlier proximity to panic was not helping matters. He needed his princess to soothe him.

Plus, she did say that she wanted to be able to appreciate his uniform.

At that moment, a genteel knock was heard on the door. "And the Princess has apparently arrived." Itachi chuckles as he goes and answers the door. "He's in the living room. I’m just going to go out for drinks with some of my FBI colleagues. You two can have some privacy."

Sasuke looks towards the door as it shuts, Hinata taking Itachi’s place there. He smiles softly at her, beckoning her to the couch. “Thanks for being there today.”

She smiles and goes to sit with him on the couch. "I told you that I would be." Hinata kisses his cheek. "And that we would get through this."

His arms slither around her, pulling her into his lap. “Knowing that you and Itachi were there helped keep me calm.” It had been really hard to answer some of the later questions, but thankfully, no one had asked for details on just WHAT had happened over there.

"I know." She snuggles into him. "It's alright now though. It's over." Hinata smiles at him.

“Yeah…just have to keep away from reporters for a few months, and it should all blow over.” He picks at a midnight blue lock and twirls it around his fingers. “So, I kept my promise to show you the uniform.”

Hinata smiles slyly. "And now you want me to keep my promise to take it off you?" That sounded like fun.

“Just be careful with it. Kakashi will kill me if it gets ripped.” After all, it WAS his formal uniform. “And try not to touch any of the pins, you could prick yourself by accident.”

"I'm sure you would kiss the pain away, if I did." She smiles and slowly starts undoing the uniform. "And don't worry, I won't tear it."

Sasuke smirks as the blue jacket loosens around him. “I’ll always kiss the pain away.” He lowers his hands, letting the loosened jacket slide off his shoulders, revealing the plain white dress shirt and black tie underneath.

She smiles and slides the tie off in a rather suggestive way. "Aren't I the lucky one?" Hinata kisses him as she begins to tug off his pants.

Sasuke smirks into the kiss, picking his jacket up and laying it over the back of the couch. “Lady Luck, then. Because I’m feeling pretty lucky too.” For so, so many reasons.

"Good." She tugs off his pants and boxers rather quickly. "I was right. It does look rather regal on you." Hinata unbuttons his shirt, sliding it off and tossing it behind the couch. "But I think I still support your birthday suit."

“Good to know.” Sasuke strokes along Hinata’s cheek, pulling her in for a fiery kiss. “Maybe you’ll like the combat uniform even better. Comes off easier too.”

She moans into the kiss. "Mmm…well I do like things that make getting off easier." Hinata laughs as she strokes him.

Sasuke groans, tipping his head back against the couch. “I can’t say that I disagree.” Damn, the things this woman could do with her hands! Then, his own hands tug at her pretty shirt, slipping it off as he smiles crookedly, albeit with great difficulty. “You know, there’s no need to dress up for me. I much prefer you with nothing at all.”

Hinata blushes. "Well, I guess there's not much point in the lingerie collection I gathered over the years, then." She reaches behind her back and unclasps her red silk bra. "How are you feeling?" She wasn't entirely sure she should push him this much, but she was quickly growing addicted to his touch.

“Hungry.” He eyes her breasts lazily, before pulling down the pretty skirt she’d worn. Okay, he was definitely developing a thing for skirts. They were so easy to remove! “Usually I don’t like eating sweet things, but I want to gorge on dessert tonight.”

"What did you have in mind?" She feels her face burn. "You should be able to have anything you want after all that."

All he does is smirk before slipping off the matching red silk bottoms and pushing her down into the comfortable couch. “Well, we do have our privacy, after all. Why don’t you humor me?” He glides his lips down her neck, kissing his initials into her skin.

Hinata mews. "Yes, I probably should reward you for so valiantly facing the the orcs known as the press." She smiles up at him, tilting her head to the side and exposing more of her skin.

“I did go into battle rather courageously, didn’t I?” He nips at her skin, leaving bright red marks all the way down to the first nipple, sucking it between his teeth and nibbling on it as he rolls the other between his fingers.

She gasps and moans. "Mhm." The Hyuga woman quickly wraps her legs around his waist. "With great courage, indeed." She was probably going to be marked up pretty good after this. Sasuke seemed to have something of a fetish for marking up her skin, but she didn't mind. She could always wear high collars or something.

After a minute, he switches from one breast to the other, not leaving the now bruised one unattended. His free hand snakes down beneath her, rubbing at the damp folds. Sasuke hums smugly as his tongue wraps around the nipple, his lips sucking a hickey into her skin. Beautiful…so beautiful. Every mark, every moan.

"Feels so good." She sighs lustfully into his ear as she arches into every touch. "Mmm you're definitely a ravisher." Hinata runs the fingers of her one hand through his short dark hair while the other strokes him a bit faster.

Groaning slightly, Sasuke leans up, kissing her deeply as two of his fingers slip inside her, his thumb rubbing her clit in time with his fingers. It felt so…easy, so natural, being with her. And every touch makes it feel even more real.

She moans and arches against him. "Ah!" God that felt good. Just a few well placed touches to her center and she was gone. "Just like that." The Hyuga woman murmurs, her voice thick with desire as she looks up at him with lustful lavender orbs and returns his kiss hungrily.

“Don’t you mean just like this?” Sasuke smirks as he kisses her again, recognizing that look in her eyes for what it was, and removing his fingers, sliding his entire length smoothly inside her, rocking so as to hit her spot immediately. He’d memorized it, after all.

"S-SASUKE!" She screams his name. "Nhh!" Hinata hadn't expected him to enter her that suddenly, but she was already wet from his gentle teasing, so they joined together easily enough. And of course, he struck her spot perfectly, making her moan loudly. "Fuck!"

Bracing one of his hands against the arm rest of the couch, Sasuke rocks gently into her, at first, slowly gaining a little speed and power with every thrust. His other hand busies itself attending to her breasts, and his mouth covers hers, swallowing her moans and the screams of his name.

Hinata arches against him. Lost in a sea of pleasure. "More!" She whispers between needy kisses as she wraps her legs around him even tighter and rocks against him, trying desperately to match his pace. Her breasts pressed up against his hands and chest as she does so while she runs her hands along his back.

Bending down, Sasuke rests his elbow on the fabric next to Hinata’s head, pressing their bodies tightly together as he slams inside her, quickly feeling drunk on her moans and screams. “Hinata, cum for me…I want to feel your pleasure.” He growls as he bites on her ear, holding her close and letting her voice fill his own ears.

She squirms at the bite, but not from pain. "Oh God!" There was just something primal about the way he slammed into her and growled at her. Hinata doubted she could have defied that command, even if she wanted to. "Sasuke!" She obeyed eagerly, screaming his name over and over again.

Sasuke shudders as he spills his release inside her, panting hard as he leans his head against her shoulder, small beads of sweat dripping down his pale skin. “Hina…”

"Mmm." She burrows against him, trying to catch her breath. "Yeah?"

“I love you so much…” He turns over, wrapping his arms tightly around her as he lies on his side on the couch. Itachi was going to murder them later.

Hinata smiles. "I love you too." She traces her fingers against his lips. "You shouldn't have kept me waiting so long, but you were more than worth the wait."

“I think I’m the one who waited longer…” Sasuke plays with midnight locks, smiling sadly. “After all, I’ve been waiting since we were seventeen.”

"Not really." She kisses his cheek. "I've been waiting all my life for you. I just didn't know it."

Sasuke’s eyes widen, that familiar spark of happiness and hope reigniting and jumping around in his chest, warming his heart. “Then…I’m sorry I made you wait.”

Hinata smiles and snuggles against him. “It's okay." She glances up at him with loving eyes. "You're here now and that's what matters most."

Hope. Her eyes gave him hope. Hope that he wasn’t too broken to be loved after all. “Yeah…” He slides down and presses his head to her breasts. “And I’m not letting you go.”

"That's good." Hinata blushes. "Because I don't want you to." She smiles and kisses his forehead.

“Yes Ma’am.” Sasuke chuckles, closing his eyes. Itachi would probably kill him for having sex on the couch in the morning, but for now, he just wanted to cuddle with his princess.


	23. Chapter 23

Sasuke hated it when Itachi looked smug, especially when he may have accidentally fallen asleep on the couch, barely waking up in time to find a blanket to put over a sleeping Hinata and slide on some pants before Itachi got home.

And while Itachi was always polite to Hinata, once she was out of earshot…well, all bets were off.

He chuckles. "I take it that you were rewarded for your good behavior in front of the press?" Itachi knew it was probably wrong, but it was just too much fun to tease Sasuke to resist doing so.

“Shut up.” It had nothing to do with the damn reporters. Sasuke moves about the kitchen, making himself lunch, seeing as he’d slept in pretty late. In fact, he’d slept surprisingly well. No nightmares at all. “She wanted to see my uniform, that’s all.” And then take it off…which had been the fun part.

"Ah well I've heard that there are some women who love a man in uniform." Itachi smirks. "I suppose that she's one of them." The elder Uchiha pat pats him on the back. "I am happy for you though. She is a good choice and it's a good sign that you're so willing to pursue a healthy relationship after everything." He sighs dramatically. "Though I wish that pursuit hadn't taken place on my couch!" Itachi grumbles.

Sasuke rolls his eyes. “It’s not like YOU use that couch.” He hadn’t seen Itachi bring anyone home at ALL. And even his brother wasn’t THAT stealthy. Right?

He raises an eyebrow. "I do occasionally sit on it." Itachi shrugs. "There wouldn't be much of a point in buying it, if I didn't use it."

“Well at least we didn’t make a mess.” Sasuke was sure enough of that. It would just need a little…scrubbing, is all.

"Well I do appreciate that." He glances at Sasuke. "And out of curiosity, which team does your colonel bat for?" Itachi wasn't entirely sure if Kakashi had been jealous of Kisame or not. "Since I doubt that is classified information." If he was straight, then Kakashi definitely hadn't been. If he wasn't though, well maybe.

Sasuke raise an eyebrow. “You want to know what kind of erotica he reads?” Well, it’s not like he didn’t know the answer to that. “Well, considering that he’ll read straight or gay erotica in the middle of the office, I’d say he’s probably equal opportunity. Seems to be more of a who than a what kind of person.” At least, that was his best guess based on the books.

Itachi shrugs. "I suppose that is a rather tactful way to put it." Sasuke didn't sound certain, but judging by that answer, it seemed that Kakashi was likely bisexual.

“Why, you want to start a betting pool?” Sasuke shakes his head. “We tried that ages ago.”

"Well it might prove an amusing way to pass the time." No. That hadn't been his intention, but his brother had offered him an easy cop-out. "Seems to be something of a tradition on your base anyway." He'd take it.

Sasuke turns off the stove and plates his food, a large helping of spaghetti and meatballs, with liberal amounts of Parmesan and Ricotta. His appetite was definitely going strong now. “Not the base, just our platoon, really.” Well, the platoon he’d originally been assigned to, before his promotions. But he still called it his platoon, since he still went on most of his ops with them. “Think of us as ‘the weird ones’.” It fit, considering that Kakashi was looking after them, and he was easily the weirdest of the lot.

He chuckles. "I see. Why doesn't it surprise me that your platoon is the weird one?" Itachi shakes his head in amusement.

“Because I’m ‘extraordinary’.” Sasuke smirks as he sits to eat his food. “Actually, it’s because Kakashi recruited each member of the platoon himself. We’re…good at getting the job done, even if everything goes belly-up halfway through. We adapt, we improvise, we survive.”

"Mmm, Sasuke?" Hinata murmurs sleepily as she watches up and stretches. "Where are you?" She looks around in confusion when she doesn't see him there, but thankfully the blanket was still wrapped around her as she makes her way to the kitchen.

Itachi chuckles. "Well I think I'll head off to work." He winks at Hinata. "Do take it easy on him. Don't go full dominatrix on him just yet." And with that, Itachi makes his way to the door, leaving behind a beet red Hinata.

Sasuke growls under his breath as the door shuts, getting up to serve up another plate for Hinata. “Sorry, Itachi is…Itachi. He says stupid stuff like that.” Honestly, was his brother TRYING to scare off his girlfriend!?

"It's alright." Hinata smiles at him. "My sister is even worse than him." She kisses his cheek. "Besides, he got the roles wrong anyway." The bluenette wraps her arms around his neck. "I prefer it when my brave knight does the ravishing most of the time."

Glancing sideways at her, Sasuke holds the plate in one hand, wrapping the other around her waist and kissing her good morning. “Well, I enjoy ravishing my princess. Especially after defeating a dragon.” And he still had many of those to defeat…

She kisses back. "Mmm." Hinata smiles up at him more. "Good to know. I love you." The bluenette kisses his cheek. "And I know that it's probably too soon, but when you're ready...if you wanted you could move in with me. That would...probably decrease incidents like this." Incidents where Itachi walked in on them. Even if it was after the fact.

Sasuke blinks bemusedly. “You want me to…” Well, of course he’d given the thought of living together some consideration, but he assumed that something like that would happen further down the line, that he’d live on base for a while before they moved in together. It was fast, but… “I…I’m still dealing with nightmares, Hinata. I know that you mean well…but I still wake up screaming in the middle of the night.” Nowadays, it would only happen three, maybe four times a week. It was getting better, but still, his nights were far from restful.

"I know." She snuggles against him. "That's why I understand, if it's too soon." The bluenette's lavender eyes sparkle mischievously as she looks up at him. "But...maybe you'd have less nightmares if I wore you out before bed first."

…That was true, he did tend to have peaceful nights around her, especially after sex. “It could be…I do have less nightmares around you.” Sasuke was still worried about hurting her, though. His episodes were never particularly violent, save for the odd one here and there. He just drew in on himself, his psyche curling tight into a ball.

She rests her head on his shoulder. "It's alright. We can wait." Hinata inhales his scent. "Besides, my father would probably try to use the katana on you, if he found out that I offered anyway."

“Hn, I’d like to see him try it…” He still had four months to go before being released back into active duty, but Sasuke knew that his physical strength would be back to normal in half that time, stamina and appetite included. Not peak, but normal, at least. His normal. “Maybe once I’m back on duty. I should be…” Not perfect, but… “I should be tolerable, by then.”

"You're more than tolerable to me." Hinata kisses his cheek. "But alright. We'll discuss it later. I think I’m going to head back to my place and have a quick shower." She sighs. "I should probably get back to work."

Sasuke holds up the plate of spaghetti. “At least eat before you go. You wouldn’t want to go to work hungry.”

She smiles. "Alright." She takes the plate and goes to sit on the couch, quickly biting into it. "Mmm…gorgeous, a fantastic lover, intelligent, heroic, and you cook." Hinata giggles. "I'd definitely say that's more than tolerable."

Sasuke smirks, sitting down next to her with his own plate. “Well, when your platoon is sick of rations, buying raw food from the region and cooking it yourself is pretty appealing. We took turns cooking.”

"Good to know." Hinata continues eating. "I look forward to finding out what else you can make."

“Mostly meals that you can make in large quantities, especially with dry ingredients that keep a while or something you can boil. Pasta, stir-frys, barbecue, if Suigetsu and Jugo ever dragged back a wild animal, not really fancy stuff, not until I got back and started raiding Itachi’s kitchen once I had a real appetite.” That’s when he could actually apply his skills to make something a little fancier.

She finishes. "Well that makes sense." Hinata smiles slyly. "I get off work at five, which means I can meet you back at my place at say six? And if you're a good Knight, you'll get off not long after that." Snickering softly, Hinata gets off the couch and saunters off towards the door.

Sasuke shakes his head, smirking as Hinata disappears through the door. Sh was a wonder, that much was certain.

But…it was that day of the week again. A few hours at the base, and then, he’d be right back in the home of two CIA agents, trying not to freak out on their girlfriend as she goes and tells him that he’s not crazy, even when everything in his head is telling him that he is.

* * *

 

The appointment rolls around sooner than Sasuke would have liked, but Konan greets him when he arrives with a smile. "Welcome back, Sasuke." Probably trying to ease him into it. "So I heard you had quite the eventful week." Or not.

Sasuke nods, that was one way to put it. “Definitely not my favorite week.” Not by a long shot. In fact, Sasuke was pretty sure he’d had better weeks in captivity. Well, minus anything to do with Hinata. Hinata could make almost anything amazing. “But it had a few upsides to it.”

"Well that's good." She chuckles. "I'm guessing those upsides explain Hinata's sudden preference for scarves." Konan gestures for him to come to the greenhouse with her. "It should gradually get easier. The public's attention will be distracted soon enough."

“I know. But the more famous your family, the bigger the scoop.” And the longer he had to put up with it. Sasuke follows her to the familiar glass dome, stepping inside to be greeted by the sounds of birds and the smell of flowers and herbs. It was familiar, it was good. And like he’s done every week, he sits in the comfortable dark green armchair across from Konan’s interesting bright blue and white armchair.

She nods. "I imagine that does make it difficult." Konan glances at him. "How are you coping with the spotlight?"

Sasuke sighs. “Honestly, I’m just trying to keep myself from panicking. Too many civilians still…it’s hard for me to be around them.”

"That's understandable." She smiles at him. "But you are doing an admirable job thus far."

“It doesn’t feel like it…” Physically, he felt like he was making leaps and bounds, but mentally…it felt like he was stuck. The nightmares still came, and while he’d gotten the panic attacks mostly under control, that control wasn’t perfect. And then…there was that feeling pecking at the back of his mind, telling him that he’s forgotten something, something that he’s been trying not to remember.

Konan nods sympathetically. "It's normal to feel that way. Still, you haven't attacked anyone and that is actually a bigger accomplishment than it sounds."

He stares at her blankly. “I’ve freaked out in here half a dozen times.” And okay, only two of them involved lashing out, but still, it was a critical loss of control, and he was afraid of it happening again.

"I mean the press and in general." Konan shrugs. "The average person isn't going to intentionally provoke you like I do."

“Because I avoid them as much as I can.” It’s one of the reasons he felt safe at Fort Hamilton. Everyone there was…friend. When it came to civilians, each one was an unquantifiable unknown, he didn’t necessarily know where they stood, they could be friend or foe. Well, except for people like his friends, his family, and Hinata.

"That does make sense. Was there anything in particular you would like to discuss on this visit or should I steer us?" She smiles.

“Well, you already asked about my week, so no, I’ve got nothing in particular that I’d like to discuss.” Of course, there was so much they could discuss, he just…didn’t know which direction to go with his thoughts.

Konan nods. "What do you think about the idea of getting a pet?" She smiles. "It's been known to work wonders on some of my patients in the past."

“A pet?” Sasuke wasn’t really sure about how a pet would help. Besides, he was still staying with Itachi. There was no way he was going to add a pet on top of that. And then…if he eventually moved in with Hinata, he’d have to run it by her, first. “It’s not really an option at the moment, not until I’m out of Itachi’s hair.”

"Perhaps later then. They are quite good at relaxing people and it gives you something to focus on. Take your mind off things." She nods. "Are you and Itachi getting along?"

Sasuke nods. “He annoys me, I annoy him, he brings me paper bags and water, I scream in the middle of the night and wake him up. Just the usual.” And somehow, Itachi hadn’t gotten tired of him yet. He seemed…almost clingy at times. Though Sasuke attributed that to Itachi believing he was dead for a year. Itachi just didn’t want to lose his little brother again.

She chuckles. "So mostly normal, I suppose." Konan smiles. "Siblings can be annoying. So I'm told anyway. I'm an only child."

“Yeah, I’m pretty sure that Itachi orgasms every time he manages to mess with me. Must be how he gets his kicks.” It would explain why Itachi was always so eager to screw with his head when he was a teenager, literally and figuratively.

"I’m not sure how to respond to that." Konan laughs. "Though I think that's normal for older brothers."

“Itachi is abnormal in every possible way.” Sasuke was pretty damn sure of that. “A normal person doesn’t psychoanalyze serial killers for a living.”

She laughs more. "I suppose that's a fair point." This was good. Sasuke was opening up.

“And he’s STILL poking my forehead.” Honestly, Sasuke wasn’t eight anymore, it wasn’t cute.

"That's adorable." Konan giggles. "Well probably just his way of trying to show affection in a way you're used to."

“It’d be better if he didn’t show it in a way that I can’t hide.” When he was younger, it was fine, he could hide the red mark with his bangs. Now…not so much. And it pissed him the hell off, because it stood out against his pale skin, and if he walking into Fort Hamilton, EVERYONE in the platoon knew exactly where it came from. And he’d get all the stupidest looks.

She chuckles. "Well perhaps I can intervene on your behalf in this case." it seemed like such a minor thing and it might make it easier for Sasuke to bond with her.

Sasuke rolls his eyes. “Go ahead and try, but he’s been doing it since I was a baby, I doubt he’s going to change a two and a half decade habit at the drop of a hat.” Itachi was stubborn like that. “At least I’m starting to get better at dodging it, though.” His reflexes were getting better, that was something.

"Well that's something." Konan nods. "How are you getting on with your parents?"

“Mother is clingy, dotes on me every time I visit. Sometimes visits Itachi’s place without warning. Father…” how did one describe a relationship with Fugaku Uchiha. “It’s still awkward. He’s…glad that I’m alive, but he’s still not happy with my choices. I doubt he’ll ever be.”

"Well...those seem normal enough." She sighs. "It's not nearly as difficult for them as it is for you, but it is still hard to go from believing your son is dead to alive. Try to be patient with them."

“Yes…” He knew that he had to be patient, it’s why he put up with the smothering hugs and kisses, and even some of the sweets his mother made, even though he wasn’t fond of them. “I can’t talk to them. If I told them anything…Mom would cry. Father…he would tell me to stop making ‘bad choices’ and do something important with my life. At least right now, he’s not as vocal about wanting me to be discharged.”

"You've done tremendously important things with your life, Sasuke." Konan smiles at him. "You saved the lives of hundreds of people." She pauses. "I can't think of anything more important than that. He'll understand one day and…well, mothers cry for their children. It's just…an instinct."

An instinct, huh? Sasuke smiles sadly. “I hope that one day, they’ll understand me. But I’m not going to hold my breath and wait around for that to happen.” He had things to do, and a job to get back to. Whether his parents understood why or not.

"I'm sure it will come to them eventually." Konan nods. "They love you. It's just that love doesn't always express itself in the way you'd prefer."

He goes quiet. She was right, it didn’t express itself the way he’d hoped. Sasuke would have liked to hear the words ‘I’m proud of you’ come out of his father’s mouth, just once. But they still hadn’t, and Sasuke had long since given up hoping they would. He’d given up on a lot of things, because it just hurt more to keep hoping. It’s why he was so close to his team, his platoon. They filled a lot of holes in his heart.

She sighs. "I’m sure that he is proud of you, Sasuke. It's just Fugaku is a very traditional man. A hard man." She smiles at him. "He wouldn't be so upset at your deployment to a dangerous area, if he didn't care though."

“And what exactly does he care about? My life? I guess… Not my feelings, or my goals, or who I decide to socialize with.” Sasuke’s face goes hard, cold and blank. “I’ve seen him more in the last two months, than I have since I was eighteen. He barely even knows me.”

"That can change. Though that is obviously up to the two of you." She nods.

More like it was up to Fugaku. Sasuke was open to…talking, though not about that year. All his father had to do was ask, show an interest, There was no point in saying anything to a brick wall.

As silence fills the air again, Konan shifts, a notepad lying off to the side, still waiting to be used. “Sasuke, we’ve talked here and there about what happened while you were overseas. I haven’t pushed too hard because each time I did, you had an episode.” She reaches out to touch his hand gently. “But Yahiko and Nagato have told me that the trials have been going on the last three months, and a lot of evidence has come forth about what happened where you were being held. The case is growing, but a lot of that evidence is circumstantial. There’s only one person’s eyewitness testimony, and they were only there for a few weeks.”

Sasuke’s blood ran cold at her words. “Are you saying that it’s not going to be enough?” No, that couldn’t be. They couldn’t be allowed to walk, not after what they…

She frowns slightly. “The CIA, FBI, and Interpol are all working their hardest with other groups around the world to defend this case. There are a lot of people with a vested interest in seeing these people locked away so that they can’t hurt anyone else. But on a lot of the leads, we’re shooting in the dark. They’re good at covering their tracks. Normally, I would wait to ask for this much sensitive information from a patient, but-”

“But you need more to go on than just what they left lying around.” Sasuke’s stomach knew where this was going, and it really didn’t like it. “You need eyewitness information.”

“Yes.” Konan nods softly. “But I would not and could not compel you to tell me anything if you don’t want to. All I want is to be able to prevent what happened to you from happening to more innocent people.”

Protect. That’s what he did. Protect. He protected his platoon, the civilians. Protecting is what he did, it was part of him. Could he…really protect them in this state?

Taking a deep breath, and steeling himself against a flood of dark and painful memories, Sasuke looks straight into bright amber eyes. “What do you want to know?” This was no longer a counseling session, this was an investigation. One meant to put away war criminals. “I’ll tell you whatever I can.”

"Remember you can refuse to answer at any time." She braces herself. This wasn't going to be pretty. "If you know anything about their hierarchy such as who is in charge that would be enormously helpful. As would logistics, obviously." Konan bites her lower lip. "And it would be helpful, if we knew what exactly they did to you."

Sasuke nods, darkness filling the place behind his eyes. “From what I remember, there wasn’t much in terms of an armed presence. They might have hired mercenaries or a militia to keep us from lashing out whenever we weren’t locked up, but the…doctors were the ones running the operations.” Literally. “I don’t know if they were government or regime funded, or done by a private investor, but the ones who had us were clearly from different countries. They spoke different languages.” A sharp jolt of pain pounds through his skull. “One of them spoke Japanese to me.”

"That's very good, Sasuke." She looks at him in concern. "You can stop now, if it's too painful. But the more you tell us the better."

No, Sasuke would do this, he had to. There was too much at stake not to. He would just push through the pain. “The Japanese man, I think he was Japanese, he was the one in charge. Long black hair, yellow eyes, skin as pale as snow.” That was one of the faces that haunted his nightmares. “He said that he was going to make us perfect, if we survived.” That’s the part that never made sense to him, but the man repeated it over and over, making sure that Sasuke never forgot it. “He asked us our names, where we were from, and he wrote down everything the others told him.” He scoffs quietly. “The only thing he knew about me was that I speak English and Japanese. I swore at him enough times to make that much clear.”

"That sounds like Dr. Sannin." Konan's eyes narrow. "I've heard of that one. You're damn lucky to be alive. He loves to conduct human experiments."

Sasuke’s hands clench, and his breathing speeds up. Dr. Sannin, that was his name. “O-Orochimaru. He said his name was Orochimaru.” So it really was human experimentation. “He said something about making perfect humans, turning forward the clock, and a legacy. And he said that we were going to help him achieve it.” Sasuke swallows hard. “I can’t remember how much of the screaming was theirs…and how much was mine. But one by one, other prisoners started disappearing. I didn’t see them in the halls as we were dragged in and out for our ‘check-ups’ with the doctors.”

"I’m not sure if the others survived, but you were probably lucky. In the end, I don't think he's ever not killed one of his patients." Konan's eyes soften. "Even though he wants them to live. I'm so sorry, Sasuke."

He shakes his head. She had nothing to be sorry for. But he wasn’t lucky. “The others…I could hear them screaming…the whips cracking, they were shouting out answers to whatever questions they were asked. They just wanted the pain to stop.” He tugs on his short hair, vision almost clouding over with darkness. “His thugs…they tried to make me talk. Asked me my name, where I was from, how old I was, why I was found in the rubble of that base. Most of my uniform was ruined by the explosion, so they couldn’t identify me that way. I didn’t say anything, wouldn’t tell them a damn thing.” And so they’d punished him for it.

He rocks back and forth, feeling a little light-headed. “They tried beating it out of me, breaking my bones, whipping me.” He touches his shoulder, just under his shirt where the scars begin. “But every day, they would take me to the doctors, and they would patch me up and give me an injection that burned like magma.”

She winces. "Probably something designed to accelerate the healing process." It was all so horrible. Konan could scarcely believe it.

“Yes, it was.” Sasuke knew that for certain. “Almost all of the injuries from the last half year…they healed. There are no marks from them.” He shivers as the next memories pop up. “He thought that it was cute how stubborn I was. Said that he would break me. He…” The feeling of that man’s fingers on his skin made Sasuke nearly jump out of his seat. “When the others stopped screaming, he started spending more time with me, said that I was his favorite, that I was stronger than the others, that I could take it all.” He had to be stronger than them, otherwise he would have ended up dead as well.

“That’s when he started bringing me in all the time, sometimes keeping me strapped down for days, and then leaving me locked in my cell to recover. He took skin samples, organ samples, injected me with cocktails designed to do I have no idea what…some of them hurt, some made it hard to breathe, some made me sleepy, and others…” There was a whole list of effects, really. But Sasuke could already feel the needles pricking his skin, going deeper and deeper, drawing blood, and putting something back in its place.

Konan sighs and hugs him. "It's alright, Sasuke. You've done really well I think that should be everything." She looks at him apologetically. "Unless there was something else you think would be helpful." Her heart ached for the man. The amount of trauma that he had been through was almost indescribable.

The light in Sasuke’s eyes dims, his body going limp. “The injections stopped. For about a month, they stopped. He kept taking blood every few days, but the injections had stopped, so I don’t know what he wanted to find. Probably something important…before I shattered my skull against the cell wall. But my bloodwork came back clean…”

"They were probably testing to see if whatever they were doing had worked." Konan sighs. "Well your bloodwork has always come back normal, so whatever it is doesn't seem to have done anything to you physically."

As far as they knew… But Sasuke’s instincts told him that it wasn’t nearly so simple. “The rest of it is…fuzzy. He spent a lot of time with me, liked to touch me…” Sasuke shivers again. “Said I was stronger, that I was special, his favorite, that he hoped I would be the one to survive. He said that he liked my eyes, full of fear, anger, contempt, still stubborn and willful.” He could remember that much very clearly, the voice that whispered to him while he slept, whenever he was alone, whenever there was darkness.

"You probably blocked some of it out to help preserve your sanity." Konan shakes her head. "We'll make them pay for what they did to you and the others. That's a promise."

Sasuke nods his head sluggishly, his eyes closing as his body trembles just a little. He was tired…so tired…and all he wanted was for the darkness to finally go away. Darkness, imbued with a voice like slithering snakes. That evil, torturous voice that haunts his darkest nightmares.


	24. Chapter 24

Meanwhile Itachi sighs as he pulls into the driveway and heads inside the greenhouse. "I believe his session should be over by now." He smiles as he approaches the familiar head of blue hair, searching for his little brother amid the green foliage.

Unlike Itachi’s smile, Konan was sitting next to Yahiko, watching Sasuke worriedly. Yahiko’s face was etched with guilt as he stood with Sasuke bundled in his arms. “Yes, their session is over. Sasuke made it all the way through before fainting.” He nods sadly to the young man in his arms. “He’s gotta be the bravest kid I’ve ever met.”

He blinks. "He fainted?" Itachi did not like the sound of that at all. "I need to get him to the hospital."

“Yes, I agree. He fainted just before you arrived. We were just making sure that he could be moved before doing anything.” Yahiko nods his head towards the greenhouse doors, keeping much calmer than the frantic FBI agent. “We’ll put him in the back seat of your car, I’ll ride shotgun. If you start panicking, we’ll change plans and take him in my car instead. So tell me, are you fit to drive?” The orange-haired man eyes Itachi critically, challenging him on the point.

"It might be better if you drive." He sighs. "My God, what the Hell happened?!" Therapy had been going relatively well for Sasuke and now he was fainting?

Yahiko walks out the doors, leading Itachi to his black Jeep. “It’s probably better if you’re sitting down for this.” Yahiko kicks his foot under the rim of the car, right in line with the back doors. The door opens for him, allowing him to place Sasuke into the specially designed back seat, and strap him down for safety. Then, he closes the door and heads calmly for the driver’s side, strapping himself behind the wheel.

Itachi blinks, but he quickly joins Yahiko. This was definitely not the time to be questioning things. "Probably." He straps himself into the passenger seat, closing the door behind him.

The jeep takes off out of the driveway, Yahiko’s smooth driving pulling them away from the house quickly. “Well, first things first, you should know that Konan told Sasuke about the investigation.”

"Understandable." Itachi sighs. "It was going to happen sometime. I presume that's why he fainted."

“It’s only the beginning…” And while it didn’t sit right with any of them to get information out of Sasuke, he was allowed to back out, and he hadn’t. “She told him about the dead ends we’ve been hitting, and how we need details, new leads…preferably, an eyewitness account.” Yahiko’s eyes flick back to Sasuke for just a second before they’re right back on the road. “She told him that he didn’t have to, but that any details he provided would help with the case. She also said that he could stop at any time. But you should know better than anyone how stubborn your little brother is.”

Itachi winces. "My foolish little brother told her everything." He sighs. "And the stress was too much for him."

Yahiko nods. “I have no idea how he’s still alive, let alone sane…” He’d been listening in on the conversation, of course, and he’d heard things, imagined things, that no one should ever have to experience. “But at least now we have a name to go with his nightmares.”

"A name is good." A name meant they they had a lead. And a lead meant that there was someone to punish for hurting his baby brother. "What was the name?"

“The only one we couldn’t find in that hideout.” Yahiko’s eyes darken. “That slippery snake, Orochimaru.” On the most wanted wall of the CIA, FBI, Interpol, and every international and national law enforcement agency in the world for his criminal and unethical experiments on captive human subjects. “Your little brother is his only victim that we’ve recovered ALIVE.”

"Then the one who did this is still out there?" Itachi’s anger spikes, simmering under the surface, though he maintains as calm a demeanor on the outside as he can. Losing his shit now wasn’t going to help anyone, least of all, Sasuke.

“Out there, and probably coming here.” After all, he and Nagato had put a bit of a wrench into that old snake’s plans. “It seems that your brother was his favorite. The one who lasted the longest without shattering.” Yahiko braces himself for another outburst. “And honestly, I’m not sure whether or not it’s lucky that we got there before Sasuke killed himself.”

Almost killed himself? God, what had they done to Sasuke? While contemplating just that, Itachi's eyes narrow. "Sasuke has been back for months and we've never seen hide, nor hair of this man though." Surely someone would have seen something, either in the hospital or the military base, if this man was really so determined.

“He’s good at keeping himself from getting caught. Why do you think we haven’t found him yet?” Yahiko turns towards Mount Sinai, his expression grim. “But we do have what he wants. So when he comes, and he will, we’ll finally have that old bastard. And if Sasuke can move past his fear…well, then I think the CIA will be able to tick a face off our wall. Permanently.”

"Are you suggesting using my little brother as bait?" Itachi’s fingers twitch slightly. If Yahiko thought that plan was going to fly, he had another thing coming.

“I’m not suggesting that!” Yahiko wouldn’t condone using Sasuke as bait, wouldn’t condone using anyone but himself as bait. “Unless Orochimaru has decided to just give up and lay down dead, he’s going to come after Sasuke. He’ll make sure that he can’t get caught, and he’ll approach Sasuke when he’s sure that no one is watching. Knowing that gives us an advantage we’ve never had before, and it means that we might be able to get him AND save your brother!”

It did not sit well with Itachi at all. One way or another, Sasuke was either bait, or a dangling piece of meat. And while his instinct was to grab Sasuke and put him somewhere safe until this whole thing was over, he knew that Sasuke, being the stubborn foolish little brother that he is, would never go along with a plan like that. He would never go along with a plan that involved running or hiding.

Yahiko shoots Itachi a sympathetic look. “For now, the best thing to do is make sure that he doesn’t go anywhere unaccompanied. Fort Hamilton is the safest place for him because Orochimaru’s M.O. involves approaching his targets when they’re alone, vulnerable. That’s how he got Sasuke the first time, by pulling him out of the rubble after the explosion. If it came down to a one on one between the two of them with Sasuke back at full strength, I wouldn’t envy the snake. He’s over sixty years old. A military officer in their twenties shouldn’t have much trouble with an old man, even if Orochimaru brought a gun.”

Itachi considers the information. He had heard of Orochimaru and seen a picture of his face, however, apart from that, he knew very little about the man. He was elderly, that would play against him. He was focused on a particular target, that narrowed the field for them. Even if he didn’t like it, Sasuke being this madman’s fixation would ultimately save the lives of a lot of people. Provided that they could catch the son of a bitch before he could make a move on his little brother. “At least Sasuke is getting stronger every day. I will have to call Kakashi later to ensure that Sasuke is allowed to carry his side-arm with him, just in case.”

“A military-issue Beretta? That could work. Once his mind is a bit more stable, I don’t see any reason that he shouldn’t be able to carry a pistol around just in case.” Yahiko almost slams on the breaks as they enter the hospital parking lot, unbuckles his seatbelt, throwing open the door and heading for the back seat, where he unbuckles Sasuke and lifts him up. “I don’t want to see the kid get hurt any more than you do. Remember that.”

Yahiko was Konan’s lover, Itachi’s friend, and was there for Sasuke’s therapy sessions. It would make sense that his little brother had attracted yet another person to his side. The stories Itachi had heard about Sasuke’s platoon, and how they saw him were proof enough of that habit. "Thank you, but…he's not a kid, not anymore. Not after what they did to him." It hurt to admit, but it was true. The child he once knew was long gone. "Let's just get him inside."

“Right.” Yahiko carries Sasuke through the front doors as Itachi holds them open, his eyes watching the ground and air obsessively to make sure that there’s nothing in the way that could cause Yahiko to trip with Sasuke in his arms.

As soon as the call for a nurse comes out of Yahiko’s mouth, the lobby is swarmed with trainee nurses, eager to help the handsome and very much taken CIA agent, and the equally handsome unconscious military officer. Some of the girls were even ogling Itachi, not that he wasn’t used to it.

Itachi fidgets as Sasuke is wheeled away to be looked at, and he sits down in a chair, twiddling his thumbs, trying to relieve his anxiety. He’d never been as anxious in his whole life as he had been these past few months. Sasuke’s health was like a yo-yo. Sometimes it was up, and others it was down. And it was the down that scared him the most.

Yahiko takes a seat next to Itachi, putting a hand on his shoulder “Konan says that you’re a genius, and I’m inclined to believe her.” His brown gaze hardens. “Now that I have a name, I’m planning on putting together a team. Me and Nagato, Konan, friends and acquaintances from across some different groups and agencies. We’re not going to let Orochimaru get your little brother.”

"Is that your way of asking for my help or trying to offer me some measure of reassurance?" Itachi glances at him warily. "I suppose if it's the latter, that is better than what most people could offer." Not that he was ever going to feel entirely comfortable with this situation.

“I suppose that depends on how badly you want to see Orochimaru pay for what he’s done.” Yahiko holds out his hand, watching Itachi expectantly.

Itachi gives him a pointed look for that. "I believe you know that is a foolish question."

Yahiko smirks. “Had to make sure. We don’t exactly have waivers denying liability claims in our line of work.”

Itachi reluctantly takes his hand and shakes it. "For now, I'll do whatever is necessary to ensure Sasuke is safe." After that, well the elder Uchiha Brother couldn't lie, he was feeling rather uneasy about whatever he had agreed to but he would do it for his foolish little brother.

* * *

 

Sasuke felt very groggy and very cold as he woke up. And, most alarmingly of all, he had no idea what time it was. So, opening his eyes, he blinks the sleep out of them, absolutely befuddled by the familiar white ceiling. “…Again…?” Why was he back in the hospital?

Itachi takes a deep breath and walks into the hospital room. "It's alright. I'm here." This wasn't going to be pretty. "You fainted during a session with Konan."

Sasuke looks over to the sound of his brother’s voice, not quite believing his eyes, or his ears for that matter. “I…fainted? And you brought me back to the hospital?”

"Well more accurately, Yahiko and I brought you here." Itachi nods. "That's essentially accurate though."

Sasuke wasn’t sure whether to be worried about the fact that he was in a hospital, or embarrassed about the fact that he’d fainted. “I don’t remember faint-” Wait…he’d been caught in a flashback, and then… “…That still doesn’t explain why you brought me back HERE.”

"We figured it was better safe than sorry." Itachi sighs. "Can you really blame me for being worried?" He looks at him. "You should rest and I'll brief you later."

Sasuke’s gaze darkens. “Did they tell you?”

"They told me what you told them and more." He sighs. "There is a lot you don't know yet, but I promise you that we are going to keep you safe."

Hands clenching tightly, Sasuke looks over towards the window. “What about the things I told Konan? About what happened to me?”

"Sasuke, I know everything and believe me, we're going to make that bastard pay for what he did to you." Itachi sighs as he looks at him with guilty eyes.

Sasuke eyes his brother apathetically. “It won’t change what he did. And how are you supposed to keep me safe from what’s inside my own head? I still hear him, every time I have a nightmare, he’s there.”

Itachi sighs and embraces him. "I know it won't change it, but it will make me feel a Hell of a lot better and it will stop him from hurting someone else." He didn't know what to do or say. He'd never felt so helpless. "You're making such progress, Sasuke. Don't let him take that from you."

“One step forwards, two steps back…” Sasuke leans against Itachi’s shoulder. “I want to go home.” He didn’t want to stay in this place that reminded him of those labs.

"Alright. Do you want to go back to our place or Hinata's?" Maybe, seeing his sexy doctor might cheer him up.

“Just…home…I want to sleep.” Preferably without nightmares, but Sasuke doubted he’d be that lucky. He didn’t really have an appetite either. Not after having to relive all of that in his mind.

Itachi nods and takes Sasuke home, after checking out. He sighs. He'd tell the other man everything later. For now, Sasuke needed sleep.

* * *

 

About an hour later, Sasuke was home and mercifully asleep. So Itachi felt it was safe to take out his phone and he dialed Kakashi's number. After all, the Colonel had given it to him in case of emergencies. And if this wasn't an emergency, Itachi didn't know what was.

There’s a ringing, once, twice, thr- “Colonel Hatake speaking. How can I help the FBI today, Agent Uchiha?” There’s a smile in his voice. Caller ID, a wonderful way to know exactly who is calling and when. And it was a number he’d recognized from Sasuke’s phone.

"Kakashi, I’m at my apartment." Itachi pauses. "I need you." Damn it. That could be taken the wrong way. "I need you here for Sasuke. He's alright. Just shaken up." He sighs. "I'll explain more when you get here."

There’s a silent pause. “…I’ll be there in fifteen minutes.” Then, the call cuts out as the colonel hangs up. He never was one to refuse helping Sasuke when he needed it. Especially if it was Itachi calling him.

Itachi sighs in relief. "Well at least he's occasionally capable of being punctual." With that in mind, he heads to the kitchen to make some coffee. He had a feeling they were going to need it.

Fourteen and a half minutes later, there’s a knock on the door of the apartment. “Itachi, it’s Kakashi.” He’d arrived early, even for him.

He opens the door and pulls him inside, immediately locking the door behind him. "Thank you." For some reason, Itachi felt better knowing that Kakashi was there. It probably had something to do with the fact he was looking at a man with advanced military training. Kakashi likely knew about a dozen or more ways to kill a man from this position thanks to it, but Itachi just decides to embrace the warm fuzzy sentiment for the moment instead of that thought. It was...nicer than the reality of why he had invited Kakashi over.

Kakashi, while a little bewildered by the sudden pushiness, keeps calm and on point. “You’re welcome. Now, what’s got the sadistic, mischievous, and first-class genius Itachi Uchiha all ruffled?” It had to be quite something, he’d never seen the man lose his composure like this before. At least, unless it was something serious, and to do with Sasuke.

"The man who held Sasuke captive for a year is still out there." Itachi looks at him. "He tortured him and conducted some kind of medical experiments on my brother and Yahiko believes he's still after Sasuke." Itachi takes a deep breath and continues. "His name is Orochimaru Sannin. I’m not sure if you'd be familiar with him, but he is on the CIA and FBI''s Most Wanted Lists."

Kakashi stills. That explained a lot. It explained the other marks on Sasuke’s body, his fear of needles, his bad reaction to hospitals, and why he was uncomfortable around civilians. The colonel grits his teeth. “I see, so it’s him again.”

"Again?" Itachi was almost afraid to ask, but he would anyway. "You've run into him before?"

“Once, when I was much younger, only just after his…hobbies were exposed.” Kakashi spits the words out distastefully. “I was only a lieutenant, fresh out of the academy, myself. It was well into my first overseas tour, and I was part of an infiltration mission, covert and undercover. He was meeting with some…interested parties regarding medical research into human DNA. What I heard was…well, I’m sure you can imagine the depraved experiments of a mad scientist obsessed with genetic engineering.”

The elder Uchiha Brother winces. "I think I understand. No need to say any more." He offers Kakashi his hand. "I've made coffee. We're probably going to need it. You strike me as someone who likes extra cream in theirs."

“Well-deduced.” Kakashi semi-cheerfully takes the elder Uchiha’s hand. If there was coffee involved, then this was going to prove to be a long night And there was likely quite a few things that Itachi wanted to tell him.

"Well I am a profiler." He focused on criminals, but well it could be applied to almost anyone really. "Here." One they were inside the kitchen, he hands him a cup. "I just don't know how to tell him that the bastard who did this to him is likely going to come after him again."

“Orochimaru is a relentless one…” Kakashi would admit as much. “The man has more safe places to hide than most world leaders. I’ve tried tracking him down myself but…it seems he’s about to come to us.” And that didn’t sit well with him at all. It looks like I’ll have to start sending Sasuke down to the shooting ranges early.”

"I've agreed to work with Yahiko, Konan, and Nagato from the CIA in addition to the team they’re gathering on this one." Itachi sighs. "It was better than the alternative."

“The alternative being to lock Sasuke away somewhere for his own safety?” Kakashi couldn’t see that being at all realistic, especially since he was quite claustrophobic. “No I don’t see something like that going over well. Not after Sasuke spent a year locked in a small room.”

"That and sitting around and doing nothing." Itachi takes a gulp of some rather bitter looking black coffee. "You're right though. He'd never agree to it."

Kakashi sips his own coffee, finding the creamy liquid perfect on his tongue. “So, the dilemma, as I see it, is this. Keeping Sasuke in the dark could put him in danger, and if Orochimaru were to approach him without warning, it could send him into a massive panic attack, debilitating him and making it easy for Orochimaru to acquire him. On the other hand, this is Sasuke. If you tell him what’s going on, he may decide to do something heroic and dangerous in order to rid us of a cunning enemy.”

Itachi nods. "That summarizes the situation perfectly." He glances at him. "I think you understand why I didn't want to be alone tonight. Besides, two people watching over Sasuke is better than one."

“Yes, I can see why.” This would fray anyone’s nerves, and Kakashi was no stranger to tense situations. “Well, if Orochimaru were unwise enough to attack here tonight, I doubt he would be particularly pleased to find a gun in his face.” Kakashi eyes Itachi. “Or two. Are you armed?”

"I carry." Itachi shrugs. "Sasuke doesn't at the moment because...he's considered high risk for obvious reasons."

“Yes. I still have to wait in order to sign off on those papers.” Kakashi didn’t like it much, but it was necessary. Too many unfortunate incidents occur when someone who isn’t fit to carry a weapon has access. “In any case, that makes two of us. I doubt that an old man could take us both by surprise here.”

Itachi nods. "My thoughts exactly." He smiles. "Thank you for coming. I know that it's late..."

“It’s fine, setting your mind at ease and standing guard is the least I can do for my favorite captain and agent.” Kakashi drains his mug, the caffeine buzzing through his system.

Itachi knew that he was probably going to regret this, but he glances at Kakashi's hand. No ring. So he wasn't married. If he was seeing someone, Sasuke would have mentioned it. His brother did seem to believe that Kakashi was probably bisexual. And if it turned out Itachi was wrong or Kakashi had no interest in providing a pleasant distraction, well...he could blame it on the stress.

Yeah. That's what he was going with. "Well I’m glad to be your favorite agent." Itachi smiles and brushes his lips against Kakashi's. "Do you want to be my favorite distraction?"

Intrigued, Kakashi returns the soft kiss, an eyebrow slightly raised. “I take it, then, that you’re not so angry with me anymore?” After all, it was something of a surprise that Itachi would initiate something intimate with someone who he’d nearly threatened to castrate not all that long ago.

"No. I was...not entirely in control of myself when I threatened you." Perhaps, the understatement of the century. "You were simply in the wrong place, at the wrong time and I probably shouldn't have threatened to castrate you." The Uchiha version of an apology.

“I see…” Kakashi twirls his fingers into the long, silky ponytail hanging down Itachi’s back. “In that case, it would be my pleasure to distract you.” He presses a kiss to the younger man’s lips, finding them to be soft, just like his hair.

Itachi smiles as he returns the kiss. "Good." Sasuke should be dead asleep and he was upstairs. So the odds of him overhearing anything seemed low. Plus there were only two doors to the home and they were both on the bottom floor. If anything happened, they'd hear it first. "Hopefully, you can provide a rather thorough one."

* * *

 

While Kakashi and Itachi were in search of a pleasant distraction, Hinata was doing the same. Just in a very different way. Ino was currently painting her toenails and they were enjoying a sleepover. Hinata knew that Sasuke would probably be grumpy after his session with Konan and want some alone time. So she had invited her friend over.

Ino hums contentedly, a slightly mischievous smirk on her face. “So, tell me Hinata, what’s Sasuke like when he’s not off saving the world or trying to murder people with dodgeballs?” Was she ever going to let that go? Probably not. Mostly because it was funny. Good memories…

Hinata laughs. "Ino, that was years ago." She couldn't believe the blonde was still bringing up the dodgeball thing. "Well it's...complicated." Hinata sighs. "He's still dealing with a lot of issues, but I know that he loves me and there are so many sides to him that it's hard to answer that question."

“Okay then how about easy questions!” Ino grins widely. “Is he brash, or is he the romantic type? I mean, he joined the military, so does he take orders or give them better? Does he secretly like to cuddle?”

Hinata blushes. "You're not going to let me say no comment are you?" Probably not, but it was worth a shot.

“Not a chance!” This was Ino’s big chance to learn about her friend’s love life. Like hell was she gonna pass it up! “Come on, Hinata. In high school, Sasuke was cold, competitive, and a bit of a control freak. There’s no way YOU of all people would date a guy like that, which means that just like I thought, there’s a lot more to him. Come on, tell me.”

"Well he d-doesn't really have any one particular style of lovemaking." Her face was probably going to be permanently red after this. "He can be very playful when he wants to be." She bites her lower lip. "A bit of role-playing."

Yes, she was never going to stop blushing at this rate. "The first time we were together, I was on top of him but that was mostly because he was still recovering and we had to be careful." Hinata pauses. "He's very good at giving orders though and possessive." She unconsciously rubs her neck. "But I kinda like that and well, he's really good with his tongue. He woke me up once and...nevermind. That's too personal."

Wait, what was that about a tongue and waking her up in the- “Oh my god, Hinata, did Sasuke wake you up one morning with oral sex!?” That was so…playful. But Hinata had just said that Sasuke could be playful sometimes. And possessive. And he gave orders. Oh this was too good! Ino could barely believe that Sasuke Uchiha would be anything other than straight up domineering Alpha male. Looks like he really was the romantic type.

She nods shyly. "Well he was you know...reciprocating from the night before." That was one wakeup call that she was never going to forget.

Ino blinks. “You gave him oral.” Wow, Hinata was very adventurous, considering how new the relationship was. “That’s a surprisingly equal back and forth dynamic.”

"Well...yeah." Hinata really hoped that Sasuke liked the color red because at this rate, her skin wasn't ever going back to its natural color. "I mean...it's not that uncommon and he really liked it. Then again, I don't think t-that there are many men who don't." She blushes more. "Yes, he's...very attentive and tries to make it equal in that respect. He's also sneaky when he wants to be and oh...I should probably make popcorn!" It was as good an excuse as any.

Ino chuckles at the flimsy excuse. Hinata’s red face alone told her plenty. It seemed that Sasuke Uchiha was a complicated man now, compared to the boy he was in high school. “Looks like she was after the wrong best friend.” Ironic, that her friend’s first crush was on Naruto, and now, things were going about as well as anyone could hope with Naruto’s best friend. “Funny how that worked out.”

Hinata nods as she gets them some popcorn. She'd almost told Ino about the swimming pool. She'd probably never let her live that one down. She comes out with the food. "Here we go." She smiles.

Ino picks through the buttery popcorn, rolling it between her fingers. “So…I’m gonna be your maid of honor, right?”

"Ino!" Hinata squeaks. "It's a l-little early to be talking about that!"

“Hinata, I’ve never seen you so smitten with anyone, ever! Not even Naruto got this much emotion out of you.” Ino tosses the popcorn into her mouth. “I mean, despite my earlier reservations about it all, if Sasuke makes you this happy, then obviously he’s a keeper.”

Hinata almost chokes on the popcorn, but manages not to. "We haven't been together that long and he's still...going through things. He's getting a lot better now, but still."

“Well I’m not saying to start planning for a summer wedding or anything, but…I like seeing how happy he makes you.” Ino grabs a brush and starts running it through Hinata’s hair. “You glow whenever you talk about him, and I don’t just mean that your face glows red.”

"Thank you." Hinata smiles. "It really doesn't bother you? I know you liked him a long time ago."

“I did, and I got over it.” Ino snickers “Besides, that was ten years ago. I hope that I wouldn’t be stuck on the same person for as long as you were.”

Hinata grumbles. "There's nothing wrong with liking the same person for a long time." Though she had wasted a lot of it. Sasuke had been right there. "Besides, it's not like he would have noticed me then anyway. He was so..." Obsessed with his studies.

“Hm…you’ve got a point…” Ino frowns a little. “He did get kind of weird in senior year though, like he was trying too hard. I mean, I get being dedicated to studying, but he was just…I dunno, crazy about it? You noticed it too, right? It was right before Halloween.”

"...I always figured that it was because he was worried about keeping his early acceptance." Hinata bites her lower lip. "But that's when he found out about the mix-up. So maybe it wasn't a coincidence."

Ino’s brain starts working furiously through all of the details, including what Hinata just said. Tick, tick, tick. And then she cringes. “Oh no, please tell me that he wasn’t falling for the one writing the love letters.” That sounded like the plot to a bad movie. “No wonder he didn’t stay for the summer. Seeing your best friend dating the person you’re in love with…” Now, she felt really bad for Sasuke. That had to hurt.

"He told me at the time, that he had fun trying to figure out who did it and that it didn't matter." Hinata sighs. "That he was going to let me down gently because he was more focused on his studies anyway. At the time, I had no reason not to believe him."

Ino slaps her forehead. “Typical Sasuke, acting like it was all just funny, a game. What a jerk…he used to lie about his feelings all the time, pretending he didn’t have any.” Honestly, she’d gotten tired of it a long time ago. She thought it was arrogance, but…if it was a defense against pain. “Looks like it backfired on him, but he hid it anyway…”

"It was actually very noble of him." Hinata sighs. "He liked me, but knew that I still liked Naruto back then and didn't say anything." It was very romantic in a tragic way and a lot more meaningful than most high school romances.

Noble or not, Ino was idly starting to wonder if Sasuke liked being in pain. He seemed to subject himself to a lot of it, and then there was the involuntary stuff on top of that. “Jeez…I feel so bad for him. I mean, at least he’s a bit happier now, right?”

Hinata blushes. "Well....he's definitely happier when he's not at the hospital and we're alone together." She nods shyly. "So it all worked out. He's just struggling a bit, but he's going to all his appointments and things..."

“That’s good.” Ino finally puts the brush down, happy with her work. “Well, I can’t wait to see him again. We’ve all been holding off on it, since he’s going through a rough time, but we want to get together and have a party. We all really want to see him.”

"I'm not sure a party is a good idea." Hinata bites her lower lip. "That might make him nervous." Sasuke had never really been the most social person to begin with, but after everything...well that had only gotten worse. She could tell he had hated the press conference.

Ino smiles sadly. “Well, I was just thinking a small group. Me, you, Naruto and Sakura, Tenten, Lee, Karin and Suigetsu, Kiba, maybe Shino, Shikamaru, and Chouji could do the food. It would be people he’s known for a long time, people he’s probably a lot more comfortable with.”

The bluenette sighs. "Well I can ask him." She knew that Ino and everyone meant well. "I can't really make any promises. This isn't high school anymore." Hinata bites her lower lip again. "If he gets forced to go somewhere he doesn't want to go, he's not going to get annoyed. He could become terrified or very angry." And Sasuke was getting stronger by the day. That might not end well.

“Okay, well ask him, and we’ll see what he says.” Ino was hopeful that he would say yes, since it was just a small group of people. And two of them, he’d spent years with overseas. That should calm him down, right?

"Alright. I"ll ask him." Hinata looks at Ino and blushes. "Have you told anyone about us?"

“Not yet, but I’m dying to see their reactions.” Ino snickers. “After all, it’s not every day that the wallflower and the Ice Prince hook up.”

Hinata crosses her arms and grumbles. "He's not an ice prince." Well at least not anymore and not to her. More like a volcano...he was just dormant for awhile.

Apparently not, Ino was just finding that out. “I look forward to seeing you show us that.”

"Yeah." She nods. "I'm not really sure how he acts in public though. I mean...we haven't really gone anywhere together as a couple with other people around us much." Hinata pauses. "Other than dinner with my parents."

“Well, if I was held prisoner by strange people for a year, I’d probably be skittish around strangers. But he’s been going to the military base a lot, which means he’s comfortable there. So it’s probably just a matter of who he’s with.” At least, that’s how it made sense in Ino’s mind. “Anyway, just ask him in passing, and if he says no, then we can wait longer before asking again. No biggie.”

Hinata nods again. "Not what I meant exactly. I'm not really sure if he's..." The Hyuga woman trails off unsure of how to phrase the next part. "You know, the cuddly kind in public." Sasuke had never really had a girlfriend in high school. Maybe, he was just more affectionate in private.

Ino grins widely. “Oh, I’m sure that we can fix that.” A round of dares was starting to sound like a really good idea.

"Well I d-don't know what he's like in that sort of setting is all." Hinata blushes. It wasn't like they were in middle school and going to play Truth or Dare or something.

“Well, then there’s no better way to find out than to ask him and see what he says.” Ino flops down into a messy nest of blankets, a must-have, in her mind, at a sleepover. “Keep in mind that the idea is to have FUN.”

"I'll ask him." Hinata promises as she nods. "And try to keep that in mind." Though taking her lover to a party when he had PTSD didn't sound like fun. God help her, this was a recipe for disaster.


	25. Chapter 25

At least this time when he started awake, there was no screaming. Sasuke woke without a sound, shivering at the feeling of that hissing voice slithering through his ears. He hated it, it tortured his sleep now as much as it had his life all those months ago. Relentless, unforgiving, a malicious presence that had rooted itself deep inside him, and was going to stay no matter what.

Knowing that there’s no way he can go back to sleep after another nightmare like that, Sasuke dresses himself and heads downstairs. If he’s awake, he might as well make breakfast for whenever Itachi wakes up. His big brother did like to sleep in as much as he did, even if Sasuke was in the habit of waking up early.

Heading into the kitchen, he notices long black hair splayed out on the arm of the couch. Itachi must have been anxious and stayed up too late. The idiot. Who got so worked up over their little brother fainting? He’d been in worse situations than that. Well, at least physically.

So, grabbing a blanket, Sasuke heads over to the couch, intending to cover Itachi. Only… “Kakashi!?” What the hell was his commander doing here…naked…on the couch with Itachi!? He throws the blanket over them and turns around, covering his eyes as he backs away from the couch. “The hell?” What the fuck was the colonel doing cuddling in his birthday suit with his big brother!?

Itachi snuggles closer to the warmth. He was perfectly content at the moment, until he heard someone talking. "Mmm?" Rudely interrupting him from his afterglow sleep.

That voice sounded familiar. Familiar enough that Itachi's eyes slowly fluttered open and he sees his baby brother. "Sasuke?" Damn it. He had been caught snuggling up to a most likely still naked Kakashi on the couch...by his brother who was suffering from PTSD. Great. Now he had just traumatized him further!

Sasuke keeps his eyes covered, now knowing that Itachi is awake. “…Well, I guess I was half right. It wasn’t Kisame topping you. Why the fuck did it have to be my commander, though? I thought you were still pissed at him!” Itachi wasn’t fond of the military, Sasuke knew that very well. And yet, here he was snuggled up to a colonel. The colonel who lost track of Sasuke no less. Not that it was Kakashi’s fault.

"I don't know what your obsession with my position preference is." Itachi rolls his eyes. "Give me a moment, keep your eyes covered. That's if you don't want another eyeful." Once he confirms the state of Sasuke’s eyes, Itachi quickly throws on a pair of boxers to preserve some of his modesty and then walks over to him.

This probably wasn't his finest moment. "I wasn't angry with Kakashi." Getting caught by his baby brother after sleeping with said baby brother’s Commanding Officer. "Not exactly, anyway. I was angry at the situation and he was just...within striking range."

“Right…” Sasuke opens his eyes carefully. “And you slept with Kakashi because…?” He pauses, a few gears whirring into place. “THAT’S why you asked me about which team he swings for!?” Oh no, what had he done!? He was never going to be able to burn these images out of his head.

This was going to sound awful. "Well he seemed a little too interested in whether or not Kisame was my lover." There was no way to make this sound not awful, Itachi decides. "So I thought that he might be jealous, but I wasn't entirely certain that he liked men." Itachi crosses his arms and looks away. "And...after everything that was going on, I guess I just needed a pleasant distraction. He's attractive, loyal, strong, and he cares for you. He's...helped me a lot since you went missing." What more was there to say really?

Sasuke looks determinedly away from Itachi. “Well…I guess if I have to pick my trauma, it should at least be the one that gets me good blackmail material.”

"Well I suppose that's one way to look at it." After all, Itachi hadn't been thinking clearly the night before. "Though I'm not sure how much material you'll have." They hadn't exactly signed any exclusivity clauses. For all Itachi knew and it was probably more likely than not, Kakashi would pawn it off to being about comfort and feel guilty about sleeping with him because he was Sasuke's brother. "It was...something of a heat of the moment thing." Though he'd admit to thinking about it unconsciously for awhile.

“Heat of the moment…right.” Like Sasuke bought that. He doubted that Kakashi would have slept with his brother if it were only that. “Well, I guess you DID have a use for the couch after all. Now you can’t be annoyed about me and Hinata using it first.”

Itachi couldn't help but roll his eyes. "You really are foolish sometimes." He glances back at Kakashi. "Well thankfully, he appears to be a rather heavy sleeper for someone in the military." Should he tell Sasuke now or later? Before, he could fully decide, Sasuke's cell rang. Text message.

**_Morning, Sasuke. Did you sleep well? ~ Hinata_ **

Sasuke smiles sadly at his girlfriend’s text. She was sweet, but she really should know better than to ask that question.

**_No, but I didn’t wake anyone up this time. So that might be a good sign. ~ Sasuke_ **

**_That's progress. I was wondering, if you could do me a really big favor. I completely understand, if you don't want to though. ~ Hinata_ **

**_What’s the favor? ~ Sasuke_ **

He knew better than to make a promise he might not be able to keep before even hearing the conditions. After all, considering his situation, there was a lot of things that he couldn’t do.

**_The others are really glad you're back. A few of our high school friends want to celebrate your return. Not that many. Just a handful. I know that it's a lot to ask, but I can make it worth your while later ;) Page 220? ~ Hinata_ **

Page two hundred and twenty? Sasuke smirks at the thought of THAT page. But a party…well, if it was just their friends, then that was a small circle. That shouldn’t be too bad, right?

**_Are Naruto, Suigetsu and Karin going? ~ Sasuke_ **

**_Most likely. I doubt wild horses could keep them away. ~ Hinata_ **

Itachi chuckles. "Well it sounds like you're going to be having some fun." He glances at the phone. "One way or another."

“Shut up, Itachi. Go back to letting Kakashi shove his gun where he wants to.” Sasuke was never going to let that go, never. Now, Sasuke could get back at Itachi for all of the annoying stunts he’d pulled when they were younger.

To his utter mortification, Itachi feels his face burn with embarrassment. "You're a little sadistic sometimes and not so loud!" The last thing he needed was for Kakashi to wake up before Itachi had even decided what he was going to do or not do about the situation!

Sasuke chuckles at Itachi’s discomfort, focusing on the text again. As long as he had people there who could keep him calm, and no one there he either didn’t know, or who was shoving uncomfortable questions in his face, he could get through one private party.

**_Then I think I can handle it. ~ Sasuke_ **

**_Great! Don't worry, I'm sure you'll do great. I love you. ~ Hinata_ **

Maybe she'd even dress up for the occasion. There was a fancy department store nearby. She might be able to find something elvish…

Sasuke puts the phone away, smirking at his big brother, before raising his voice. “Hey Kakashi, get up, I’m making breakfast!” That was usually the quickest way to get his not-so-heavy sleeper of a commander out of bed. He was just lazy.

Itachi glares at Sasuke. "I'm going to tell Hinata that you're ticklish for that one." He grumbles under his breath. "Prick."

“Love you too.” Sasuke snickers as he disappears into the kitchen.

When Sasuke is out of sight, Kakashi sits up with a smirk on his face. “What was that about my gun?”

He wasn't proud of it, but Itachi squeaks! "How long have you been awake?" It suddenly dawned on him that Kakashi might not have actually been asleep. He might have been faking it.

“Since Sasuke opened the door upstairs.” He would be a poor excuse for a colonel if he didn’t wake up at the slightest hint of movement. He just knew who it was, and was feeling lazy about it.

Itachi swats at him. "You let us get caught on purpose! You could have warned me that he was coming downstairs!" Instead of having his foolish little brother get an eyeful.

Kakashi catches Itachi’s wrist, pulling him down for a sloppy kiss. “At least it got his mind off the nightmare he woke up from.”

The elder Uchiha Brother was less than pleased that his swat had been blocked, but he was planning on going in for another one. "Mmpf!" Until Kakashi kissed him, anyway. "I guess that's true." And despite the situation, he found himself kissing back.

“You two are NOT having sex again while I’m awake.” Sasuke’s voice floats out of the kitchen, accompanied by the smell of bacon, eggs, and the sound of sizzling grease. “Unless you want to be the subject of the platoon’s next betting pool.”

Cockblocked by his own brother. "We weren't going to have sex again!" Such cruelty! "Pervert!" Maybe, they would have. Maybe, they wouldn't have, but Itachi could have done without the commentary. "You had better saved me some bacon and those eggs better be sunnyside up!"

“There’s two packs of bacon, and the eggs are sunny-side up, scrambled, and poached the way Kakashi likes them.” There’s some more sizzling, the smell swirling into the air. “Do you two want sausages, or have you got it covered?”

"I’m sorry, I thought my foolish little brother was twenty-six and not sixteen." Itachi rolls his eyes. "Unbelievable." Honestly! He was never going to live this down.

Kakashi chuckles amusedly as he slides his arms around Itachi. “It’s good to hear him so lively again. It’s one of the reasons he appealed to me when I was recruiting at the academy. This was quite normal in his platoon, it brought them all closer together.” Jokes and the occasional prank, cooking and sleeping together, platonically for the most part. But it was like having a bunch of teenagers around, very intelligent and very skilled teenagers, but it was fun and lively whenever the situation didn’t call for complete seriousness.

Itachi feels himself blush again at the arm wrapping. "Yes, I suppose so. Though I'll be sure to show Hinata Sasuke's baby pictures." Apparently, Kakashi didn't have an issue with him being Sasuke's brother. Not if the kissing and the holding was anything to go by.

“Now that’s something I’d like to see.” Kakashi’s eyes twinkle at the prospect of seeing the early years of his favorite captain.

“Don’t even think about it, Itachi.” Sasuke emerges from the kitchen, carrying three plates of food, setting to of them down on the coffee table. “And get dressed or I’ll call Naruto over to arrest you both for indecency.”

"Indecency?! It's my fucking apartment!" Itachi gives him a dirty look. "Even if your friend is a cop, I doubt he can arrest me for being naked in my own apartment." He nods at Kakashi. "I'll get you the pictures."

“Just get dressed, dammit.” Sasuke sits in the armchair, picking at his full plate of food, looking anywhere BUT at his brother. The last thing he needed was to see what Kakashi was hiding under the blanket.

Kakashi shakes his head. “Sometimes, I wonder how you and Hinata have the gall to borrow the pool when you’re so bashful, Sasuke.” That turns a certain face beet red in an instant.

Itachi smirks at that and quickly goes to get dressed. "Oh I'm sure that he's less shy in private." Though he did honestly wonder how that worked. Hinata really did strike him as an extremely shy woman and Sasuke had inherited a few of Fugaku's more aloof tendencies.

Sasuke’s glaring doesn’t let up, even when everyone is fully dressed. This is not the kind of shit he needed to deal with this morning. “I’m still trying to wrap my head around how THIS happened. And why is Kakashi even here in the first place?”

"I thought that it would be best to have two people to watch over you last night." Itachi debates on telling Sasuke the real reason why. "We'll discuss why later. You still have a party to enjoy." But he didn't want to spoil the fun. "As for how, well...it just kinda happened."

Sasuke’s brain immediately starts working over time. “Wait, you felt like someone else needed to watch me last night…and you called a highly trained military officer to come and spend the night?” He eyes Kakashi carefully, noticing the Beretta. “Armed?”

Itachi mentally braces himself. "It can wait until after the party. Sasuke, go ahead and have some fun." He didn't want to ruin it when Sasuke was so close to regaining some sense of normalcy. It could wait. Besides, there was going to be several military officers and a few cops there. He'd be safe.

Eyeing his brother suspiciously, Sasuke decides if it’s something urgent, Itachi would tell him now, and maybe not even let him go see his friends. Still…if it was important enough for Kakashi to get called in, it had to be something serious. “Fine, but you ARE telling me when I get back.”

"Yes, I'll tell you then. Just be a normal twenty something for once." Itachi shakes his head as he looks at him with worried eyes. "Have fun. Go out with your friends. Be with your girlfriend." And for the love of God, don't think about being a POW for a few hours. When he got his hands on Orochimaru he was going to tear him to shreds. There would be nothing left to bury.

Sasuke rolls his eyes, getting up from the chair and heading towards the bathroom. “Fine, I get it, get me out of the house so you two can do…whatever it is you do when Itachi’s on the bottom.” Never letting it go. “Give me half an hour, and I’ll be gone till tomorrow.” After all, Hinata had promised him some fun. He’d probably be out all night.

"I still don't know why you assume that I’m on the bottom, stereotypical jerk!" He was going to get eyestrain from rolling his eyes this much.

“Because you’ve got the most hickeys, and Kakashi looks too smug to have been on the bottom!” Sasuke grabs some fresh clothes and shuts himself in the bathroom, drowning out any further conversation with the sound of a hot shower.

Itachi swats at Kakashi. "You gave me hickeys?!" Honestly, the man was even worse than Sasuke!

“You weren’t complaining about that last night.” Kakashi catches the swat again. Honestly, Itachi may have been an FBI agent, but Kakashi had been doing this since he was a teenager.

"That is not the point!" Itachi feels his face flush. If he didn't cover those hickeys, he might as well have it stamped on his forehead that he had just gotten very lucky.

“I do believe that WAS the point, but if you’d rather delude yourself into thinking otherwise, that’s fine, I’ll just have to teach you the point again.” Kakashi chuckles at the embarrassed and flushed face before him. “There’s more than just the couch available, after all.”

Itachi really didn't know how to respond to that. While he had been selective in his choice of partners, he wasn't a blushing virgin. "You're awfully presumptuous." It was just he was used to being the aggressor. So Kakashi's behavior was making him feel a bit like a teenager again.

“Should I not be? You seemed to like it, though.” Kakashi leans back against the couch, smiling amiably.

"I don't think you need me to stroke your ego. I'm certain your aware of what your skill level is when it comes to these...situations." Fucking fantastic, but he wasn't going to say that. "Still we should probably focus on keeping Sasuke safe first."

Kakashi nods. “That does have to be a priority. However, unless you plan to stalk Sasuke at the party, and then his girlfriend’s house, there’s not much for you to do. Unless…” He eyes Itachi cautiously. “You mentioned that there was a group forming to deal with the problem. Should I assume that you’ll be going to join them soon?”

"You should." It'd probably be a good idea for him to take Kakashi with him. "You can come with me, if you want." Damn it. That sounded wrong!

“No, you should go and meet with this group alone.” Kakashi reaches into his pocket for his phone. “I will see what I can do about tracking down some leads from my end. I’ve made some friends over the years who might be able to help. I can’t guarantee any good information, but one of them might have something I can use.”

Itachi glances at him. "Alright. Stay safe. Orochimaru is obsessed with Sasuke. His obsession might also apply to you." Albeit more indirectly.

Kakashi kisses him goodbye, getting up from his seat. “If Orochimaru approaches me, he won’t be walking away from it.” That much he could guarantee. If that snake got anywhere near him, he’d be dead faster than anyone could blink.

Itachi nods as he touches his lips after the kiss and heads off. "What have I gotten myself into?"

* * *

 

Sasuke would be lying if he said he wasn’t a little nervous about this. But on the other hand, Naruto was going to be there, and Suigetsu and Karin, who would probably drag Jugo there, he was definitely fine around Hinata, and he doubted that anyone else was going to be a problem. Still, he wasn’t quite sure what to expect as he walked towards Hinata’s house.

It seems that they’d gotten the bright idea to hold the party there, in a place Sasuke was familiar with. That was fine, it meant that he could just stay over after the part. After all, Hinata had once suggested he move in. This was…baby steps.

Hinata smiles as she bounds over to greet him. "The others are waiting inside." She kisses his cheek. "You're so brave. Thank you for doing this."

“It’s better than being where I just was…” Sasuke was still trying desperately to scrub the images out of his eidetic memory. With no success.

She kisses him lightly. "Mmm…I know. Ino and Naruto are the only ones that know about us." They were still outside. Everyone else was inside. "So it's up to you if you want them to know."

She knew? Oh hell no she didn’t, but Sasuke would tell her about that later. No need to break THAT news just yet. Still, Sasuke kisses her back with a smile. “It’s fine, I don’t mind if they know. They’ll find out sooner or later anyway.” That, and he was sure he’d try to sneak in a few kisses during the party. Well, a few, or a few dozen. It didn’t matter which.

Hinata smiles as she wraps her arms around his neck. "Good. I’d be lying, if I said the idea of showing you off a bit didn't appeal to me." She figured they were inside anyway, it wasn't like anyone was going to see a few passionate kisses anyway. So she deepens the kiss.

Smirking, Sasuke wraps his arms around her waist, wrapping his tongue around hers as he pulls her close. Vanilla, he was really starting to like that taste. Maybe he could suffer the sweetness of ice cream for the sake of tasting the vanilla.

She sighs softly into the kiss, getting lost in the moment. "Mmm." He was such a good kisser that she forgets about party for a moment an done kiss turned into two. Two turned into more and several minutes pass by without them realizing it.

Shikamaru glances at the clock inside Hinata's living room. "What a drag. Maybe, he decided that he couldn't do it." They were a half hour late.

"I don't think so." Naruto shrugs. "I did hear a car pull up awhile ago." Maybe, Sasuke was just having second thoughts and Hinata was trying to drag him inside anyway.

Ino frowns, looking out the living room window through the curtains. Then, she grins widely. “Oh, I doubt he’s thinking much of anything right now. It looks like they’re a little…preoccupied.” She points out the window with a giggle, throwing the curtains open. “Take a look.”

"What?!" Kiba's eyes widen to the size of saucers. "No way!" Was Sasuke seriously sucking face in a big way with the shyest girl from their high school days. Because that was beyond kissing. It looked like he was trying to devour her or something and she didn't seem to mind.

“You’ve got to be kidding me!” Tenten eyes the two incredulously. “H-how the hell did that happen!?”

“Dunno, but they look good together.” Chouji munches away on a bag of chips he’d stashed away, a little surprised at the show. “And they’re doing right out in front of the house too. Anybody could see them.”

Naruto rubs the back of his head sheepishly. "Well it's a funny story really." He didn't know all the details. "It's cool though. I mean...Hinata and I broke up forever ago and I have Sakura now." He smiles at the love of his life and kisses her cheek. "But I guess they got together sometime after he got back. Hinata's his physical therapist."

Shikamaru laughs and shakes his head. "Well...I’d say that she's taking the whole kissing it better thing rather literally in this case." He yawns and stretches. "What a drag. Sasuke is gonna be pissed, if he finds out that we saw."

Outside, Sasuke cracks an eye open to see the living room window open, and more than a few people gawking at him. Idiots. So, he kisses Hinata a little more fiercely, one eye trained on an open-mouthed Naruto as he flips his best friend the bird. Suck on that, Dobe.

Hinata didn't notice the rude gesture or the fact the windows were open. "I love you." She brushes her lips against his again, trying to find the willpower to tear herself away. "We should probably head inside though."

Naruto blinks. "He really is such a bastard!" The blond flips him off right back and makes sure Sasuke can see it!

Sasuke smirks at his best friend, before turning his eyes only on Hinata. “Sure.” Hey, the idiot was staring, he had every right to tell his best friend exactly what he thought of the face he was making. “I think they’re waiting for us.” He points towards the window.

She blushes scarlet. Oh God! "They s-saw that?" Hinata couldn't believe they had seen her kiss Sasuke in that way. Not the I love you or I’m feeling playful way, but the ‘I’m Gonna Rip Off Your Clothes’ way.

“Don’t worry, I think Naruto learned his lesson about gawking.” Sasuke bites his lip for only a moment as he looks at the many faces in there. No…these were his friends, everything was going to be fine. “Come on, I think we’ve been out here a while.”

"Alright." She couldn't believe she had just done that. "I mean you're right. They were going to find out anyway." When she had imagined showing him off she had thought maybe some cuddling or more innocent kissing. She hadn't imagined giving that much of a show.

Sasuke resists the urge to strut like that lion that Hinata keeps comparing him to as they approach the door. It swings open, revealing a grinning Karin. “Hey Sasuke, it’s nice that you made it.”

Sasuke smirks smugly as they step inside. “Who else is going to keep you and Suigetsu from having angry sex in the middle of the living room? Because obviously Jugo can’t control you two.”

Jugo puts up his hands like ‘wasn't me’. "Who can blame me?" He glances at Suigetsu and Karin. "Those two are like animals." He grins. "Though it looks like they aren't the only ones." That comment prompts a small squeak from Hinata.

Well, Hinata did have a habit of comparing him to a lion, so Sasuke shrugs off the remark. “At least neither of us are exhibitionists.” Well, as far as he could tell. Showing him off was different than Hinata wanting him to take her in front of everyone. But…she had surprised him a few times, so who could really tell?

Suigetsu shrugs. "Don't be jealous, Sassy!" Was it his fault he had a girlfriend with gorgeous legs that she insisted on showing off in tight little shorts? Well, when she wasn’t wearing her uniform. Still, though…that uniform.

“Not in the slightest.” In fact he’d been seeing way too much today that he had no business seeing. “I’m perfectly happy not being an exhibitionist like you and Kakashi.”

Hinata tilts her head in confusion. "I don't think reading erotic novels counts as exhibition."

“Says the one who didn’t catch him sleeping with their older brother.” Sasuke was pretty sure that Kakashi really did have no shame. “I’ve been trying to burn the images out all morning.”

Karin blinks, then her eyes widen. “Oh no way…Itachi and Kakashi!?”

Hinata blinks. "Oh." Well that answered that question. "I always kinda wondered about those two."

Sasuke shivers as the image returns, so he leans down to bite on Hinata’s ear. “We’re never using that couch again. Ever.”

She mews cutely. "Mmm alright." Then she blinks when she realizes what he meant.

Sakura saunters over, a smile on her face. “It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”

Sasuke nods, eyeing her cautiously. She was one of the fangirls at one point. That made him feel a little funny. But still, she was Naruto’s girlfriend now, so that made her safe. “Yeah. Christmas three years ago, right?”

She nods. “It’s good to have you back.” Though she was a doctor herself, and she knew that his physical condition was…not the best. Of course, she worked in trauma, so the only time she saw him was when he first came in, to mop up some bleeding and stitch up a few errant cuts. She hadn’t actually spoken to him, and she was bound by patient confidentiality not to tell Naruto.

Hinata knew that she was being a bit ridiculous, but she still found herself leaning into Sasuke just a little more than necessary. "So Shikamaru have you achieved world domination yet?" She didn't want to embarrass Sasuke. Sakura was just being friendly.

"World domination is such a drag. It takes way too much effort." He shrugs and yawns. "Though I imagine dragging Sasuke here took even more effort."

“I’m not THAT anti-social.” Sasuke was just very selective in who he chose to socialize with. Well, and he was overseas a lot, so it was usually confined to his platoon.

"Well considering you just had your tongue shoved about halfway down Hinata's throat, I’d say the ice dick has warmed up a bit over the years." Kiba smirks and Hinata gives him a dirty look.

“It was never made of ice, Dog Breath.” Sasuke glares slightly at the K-9 officer, wrapping his arm tightly around Hinata’s waist. “And you were under no obligation to watch that.”

Hinata giggles and smiles as she cuddles into Sasuke. "You two haven't changed how you treat each other since high school." She looks up at Sasuke. "Be nice?"

“No promises.” Kiba was one of the ones who annoyed Sasuke the most, even if they sort of…got along. And Sasuke wasn’t going to lie, if Kiba threw a punch…well, the cop wasn’t a civilian, so Sasuke would be fine knocking the idiot on his ass.

She shakes her head as if Sasuke was being a naughty child. "Bad Sasuke." It was a pity that it was probably too early to break out the cuffs.

Kiba rolls his eyes. "Well, we're all glad that you're back." And apparently getting laid, but even Kiba wasn't crude enough to actually say that.

The glare softens, before disappearing altogether. “Yeah, it’s good to be back.” It seemed that friendly faces was the way to go, because even after the initial bout of anxiety, he felt…warm, safe. These were people who cared about him, even if they liked to show it by being assholes. He would be one right back. It was…normal.

Tenten beams. "And Neji brought the champagne to toast your return!" She giggles, clearly happy about this development.

Well, Sasuke had never really been one for alcohol, but if there was champagne, and likely a mess of other spirits, what was the harm in getting a little buzzed? Jugo would probably stay perfectly sober, so he could cut back a little, at least for tonight. “Alright, sounds good.” Maybe just a little alcohol would help dull his memories and let him have a little fun.


	26. Chapter 26

Well, Sasuke had been right about one thing. There was a lot more than just champagne at that party. It felt like high school all over again. There was vodka, rum, tequila, more than a few drinking games. And…it really just made Sasuke feel a lot more normal than he had in a long time.

Now, while he wasn’t nearly drunk, he was a little buzzed, pleasantly so. Which is why when people started passing out in the kitchen and living room, or in the case of Jugo, carrying Karin and Suigetsu out the door before they started having drunken sex where anyone could see them, Sasuke was stumbling upstairs to take refuge in Hinata’s room.

Unsteadily, he pushes open the door and tosses his jacket on the floor, reminding himself to pick that up later. Then, he tumbles onto Hinata’s bed waiting for the world to clear up and stop spinning.

Hinata smiles as she notices more and more people were heading home. Other than her embarrassment at having been caught making out with Sasuke like a pair of teenagers and that minor scuffle with Kiba, it had gone beautifully. That meant that she was going to reward her prince.

So while he slipped off to her room, presumably to sleep off the champagne (or whatever else he might have had), she darts into the bathroom and changes into her elvish princess gown. She had bought the materials for the outfit at a rather expensive department store and done a few modifications to make it look like it was described in the book.

After a minute or two, she manages to get into the gauzy fabric and heads off to her room. She figured that was probably where Sasuke was and she was proven right. Hinata found him laying on the bed. She wasn't entirely sure if he was asleep or not, but she straddles his hips anyway.

The silky, transparent skirt hugged her curves and hung loosely over her thighs, the waistline and bustline trimmed with false flowers. And not the unpleasant plastic ones, but ones with silken petals and ribbon-like leaves. She had also busted out her family heirloom tiara with blue sapphires and a matching necklace that hung against her breasts suggestively.

She did have an outfit for him, but she doubted he'd actually change into it tonight. Her look was completed by a faux quiver of arrows. Arrows that were really just plastic with some feathers attached.

Still a little buzzed from the alcohol, Sasuke opens his eyes to see a very strange, but exceptionally beautiful sight above him. It was Hinata, he thought, but she was dressed as though in a dream. He shifts slightly, blinking his eyes, only to find that the weight on top of him is definitely not dream-like. “Hinata?” She looked regal, even more so than usual, like a princess out of a fairy tale. He reaches up to touch her, caressing her cheek softly. Warm.

"Mmm I told you that I would make it worth your while." She sucks on one of his fingers that had caressed her cheek. "And about page 220. So I thought I'd give you your reward now." Idly, she wonders if maybe it would have to wait for another night. He might have had a bit too much to drink and be half asleep.

He blinks again, the haze clearing quickly. The he smirks. “So that’s what you were up to.” He pulls her down for a kiss, fingers tangling in soft hair. “I have to admit, I like where this is going.”

She kisses back and smiles. "I have an outfit for you too, but...you don't need to wear it." Hinata reaches for his pants. "There's really only one arrow I'm interested in at the moment anyway."

Sasuke chuckles, his fingers gliding down to her exposed shoulders. She looked so beautiful that he almost didn’t want to undress her. Almost. “A party, and now a present so beautifully wrapped for me…it almost feels like it’s my birthday.” Which wasn’t for another month, but he digressed.

"Ah…" She sighs in contentment at the gentle touch. "I'm sure that we can come up with some thing very nice for your birthday as well."

“I’m sure we can…” His eyes drift down her neck to the ample cleavage, and everything else, revealed by the silky outfit. Yet another thing that Hiashi would probably have an aneurysm over.

Hinata smiles as she tugs his shirt off over his head. "Everyone's gone home." It was just them. Home alone and she intended to make the most of that.

Sasuke gazes up at her, smirking as his fingers teach themselves how to unstrap the quiver from her back. She wasn’t going to need those arrows to defend herself anyway. “Good, I only saw half of them leave earlier, so I wasn’t sure. Kissing is one thing, but I think I’d be jealous if any of them heard you screaming for me.”

"Someone's feeling rather confident." She giggles as she slides his pants off. "If you're so sure that I’m going to be screaming your name."

“Oh? And exactly whose name do you think is going to be bouncing off these walls?” Sasuke’s cock twitches eagerly as it’s released into the warm air.

"Well you might scream mine, but I might scream yours if my handsome prince uses his sword well enough." She teases him as she kisses her lover.

He kisses her back, hands reaching under her skirt to find…nothing at all underneath. “Naughty Princess, you forgot to dress yourself.” And though his mouth was smarting off, his eyes were blown wide with lust, his fingers twitching towards her core as he grins in anticipation.

She shakes her head. "Oh I didn't forget." Hinata runs her hands over his muscular chest. "I was just accommodating my handsome prince."

“Good…” He slides his fingers across the folds, already finding them lightly slickened. “You must have been waiting to try this all night, Princess. How did you manage to wait until the ball was over?”

"It was a most frustrating evening, but a princess does not let her lover ravish her in front of the rest of the court." God, that felt good and he was only teasing her. "That would be highly improper."

“Yes, because we both know what a proper princess you are to tempt your lover into doing this.” He slides his fingers further, slipping them inside her and rubbing her walls vigorously.

Hinata moans as she rides his fingers. The fact that she was still dressed made the act feel even more naughty than it already was. "Mhm. I am a very proper princess for being a good girl and waiting until they left."

Sasuke smirks as he pumps his fingers in a little harder. “Then what would you do if I asked you to be a very improper princess?” He loved teasing her. The more he did it, and the more she responded, the more confident and powerful he felt. It was as much of a rush as seeing the love reflected in her eyes, which he was sure was reflected in his own.

"I s-suppose that it would d-depend on your definition of improper." She pants out as she kisses him hotly and arches against his fingers.

He knew that they’d never done this before, and she might be a bit skittish about the positioning, but he was looking forward to seeing if she would go along with it as he removes his fingers. “Well, I was thinking we could start with this.” He flips them over, and her onto her stomach as he raises up her hips, not even bothering to remove the skirt as he returns his fingers to their place inside her.

She blushes. "The Princess might be persuadable, if you make a compelling case." She gasps and moans as the feeling of his fingers still inside her.

“I see…in that case…” He presses down on that spot inside her, rubbing it as his thumb find her clit, and his free hand curls around her, sliding her top up to cup her breasts. “I will do my very best.”

Hinata moans and squirms. "Nhh!" She feels her face turn red, but quivers in excitement.

Sasuke chuckles. “Such a naughty princess, moaning like that.” He plants a kiss on her neck, leaving a deep red mark there. “And so beautiful in my arms.”

"Mmm…" She arches back against him. "And the same could be said of my prince."

“Yes…people keep telling me so.” It was annoying most of the time, but he didn’t mind it so much when Hinata called him beautiful. After all, he knew that it came from the right place. “But I think you far outclass me in that respect.” He rubs a little harder, leaning forward to lightly nibble on Hinata’s ear.

She mews cutely at the attention. "Who am I to argue with that?" She giggles. "Did you like your surprise?"

“Yes, I did.” How could Sasuke ever say otherwise? He removes his fingers, finding them to be completely drenched. “Now, will the naughty little princess grant my request?”

"Mhm." She turns around and kisses him. "I don't think that I could ever say no to you."

“Only me…” Sasuke growls darkly, kissing her fiercely before turning her back over and sliding into her slowly, inch by inch. “Mine.” His hands tighten around her wrists, holding her down as he starts moving ever so slowly.

Hinata gasps and moans both at the feeling of him sliding inside her and the possessiveness of his words. "Only y-you." She agrees as she arches back against him.

Thrusting forward again, Sasuke reaches around her, continuing to minister attention beneath her skirt. It really did seem rather scandalous, and he could almost imagine that the dark room wasn’t her room, that she was actually the princess bent over on the throne room floor.

She moans and squirms. "So good!" Hinata couldn't believe how close she was. She was dripping wet and yet, she wasn't even naked yet.

His heart pounding in his ears, blocking out all sounds except for Hinata’s moans, Sasuke presses her further into the bed, thrusting as hard as he knows she can take it, right into her sweet spot. He leans down to her ear, whispering huskily. “Cum for me my princess.”

"S-Sasuke!" She screams as she came hard and fast. "Fuck!" She couldn't have resisted that voice, even if she wanted to. It felt too good.

He wasn’t far behind as he spilled his seed deep inside her, panting as he holds himself up above her. “I told you…that you’d be screaming my name.” He unfastens the gauzy fabric, slipping it over her head and down her hips as he holds her up, tossing it to the ground, where it acts as a cushioned landing pad for the necklace and tiara. Now softened, he pulls out of her slowly, turning her over and pulling her against him as he covers them both in the blankets. “My Princess…”

She smiles and cuddles into him. "Yes, you did." Trying to catch her breath. "My prince."

Sasuke wraps his arms tightly around the softness of her body, even better than that of the pillows, which is why ultimately, he chooses her breasts over the pillows. “I love you…” This was a bad idea, sleeping together was a bad idea. But maybe he’d have another night clear of nightmares.

She smiles and kisses him as she snuggles. "I love you too." Hinata smiles slyly. "And now I know why you used to have so many love letters."

“None of them meant as much as yours…” Even if they weren’t for him, Sasuke still thought that they were the best of all of them. Not like the shallow ones that did nothing but annoy him and offer him sex.

Hinata yawns cutely and snuggles more. "Good because I think I'd probably shoot them with an arrow, if they were actual competition." They were fake arrows, but it was the principle of the thing.

Sasuke laughs, closing his eyes. “I’d like to see that…” So comfortable, so warm, so…

* * *

 

The latest blood tests were in hand, a standard part of Captain Uchiha’s check-ups. Of course, it had been a surprise to find out that his teacher’s favorite subject was military, but that didn’t change anything in the end. While his blood tests had been relatively normal at first, at least, in terms of what he expected to see, the results were finally becoming more interesting.

The silver-haired man with the glasses places the report down on his desk, smiling in satisfaction. “His cells are proving to be exceptionally resilient to the damage done by the division process, and the speed of the mitosis is increasing incrementally. It should level out sometime soon. His physical recovery has been…well, nothing short of miraculous, considering what was done to him.” He looks to the only other man in the room. “You truly are a genius, Sir. All you need now is the captain.”

Orochimaru smirks. Finally, they were getting somewhere. "After all this time, it's almost hard to believe that we finally found a successful subject." But it seemed that they finally had. "Is it merely accelerated healing or are we seeing other results?"

“Well, without examining the subject firsthand, it’s hard to say. But his muscles are repairing themselves at an incredible rate, and the levels of adrenaline and cortisol in his blood are higher than expected, but that’s expected.” Kabuto grins at the knowledge contained on the paper before him. “I should probably be surprised that he survived. But knowing his background, it makes sense. He was stronger than all of the other test subjects to begin with.”

"Hmm…well that does sound promising." Orochimaru mulls that information over in his head for a moment or two. "We'll need a first hand look."

Knowing his teacher as he did, Kabuto smirks. “You say that as if you weren’t already planning to take back your favorite test subject.” The man had fawned over the Uchiha like nothing else. That subject was his favorite out of all of them.

Orochimaru shrugs. Perhaps, that was something of a given, but this was a special situation. "Well I was obviously going to get him back." He leers at the thought of what the Uchiha would be capable of, if only he had the right teacher. "Of course, this just gives me added incentive."

“But knowing where he is, it won’t be easy to get to him. He’ll be watched by the FBI, courtesy of his brother, the CIA, the military…” Kabuto could see many walls, but no way around them. “And he rarely goes out in public, save for his daily trips to the base.”

"Which is why I haven't made an attempt yet." He wasn't stupid. As badly as he wanted Sasuke, he knew it was important to be patient. "An opening will present itself."

“Yes, of course.” Kabuto knew better than to doubt his teacher. The man was a genius, of course, and for good reason. His advances in medicine were legendary. However, small-minded men in government would never see the glory of what Dr. Sannin was trying to achieve.

Orochimaru knew that the time would come, but it was so frustrating to wait. "Normally, I would exploit the new relationship he's formed." A relationship that Kabuto didn't know about. "But I doubt he would have her leave his side. Though it does bring to mind interesting possibilities. I wonder what, if any effect, his modifications would have on any children he had."

“A relationship?” Kabuto blinks. From a medical perspective, it would be incredible to observe what his children might look like. From a psychological perspective, however, Kabuto doubted that the man was in any state to actually look after children.

"Yes, with Dr. Hyuga." Orochimaru smirks as if something amused him greatly. "She tries to hide it, of course. Though there is a reason why she's suddenly discovered a love of scarves." Dr. Sannin couldn't stop chuckling, no matter how hard he tried. "It seems Sasuke is does seem to enjoy marking up her neck with lovebites."

Kabuto’s fingers twitch. Uchiha was dating Hyuga? He’d been after her for months. He was an experienced doctor, well respected, and with her inheritance, he could further so much of his research. Not to mention the woman was beautiful. He could see why the Uchiha would go after her. “Well, I suppose she’ll stop wearing them once you have your toy. You’ll want to breed selectively, I’m sure.”

"I believe that I detected more than a hint of jealousy." Orochimaru shakes his head. Well he couldn't entirely blame Kabuto. Had he been a few decades younger, he might have been tempted as well. "You know how stubborn Sasuke is." Orochimaru shrugs. "If we try to encourage him to have children with a woman he doesn't want, he's likely to remove his reproductive capacity out of spite." That was a painful thought, even for someone like him!

Well, that was true. And despite his teacher’s goals, Kabuto found that he wouldn’t really mind if the subject castrated himself. He certainly was a spiteful one. Especially during the three weeks that Kabuto had spent observing him under torture. Uchiha was stubborn, prideful, and spiteful. “I suppose that it would be a risk to try and coerce him.”

This could be potentially problematic. "Do you think yourself in love with her?" If Kabuto couldn't remain objective, then that would endanger the mission.

Kabuto shoots his teacher a dirty look. “She is attractive and rich. What else matters? Her father is likely trying to marry her off, I have the position required to convince him not to make a fuss.”

"If it's not love, there are plenty of other attractive and wealthy women." Orochimaru didn't care for that dirty look. "She is no more different than any of the others without love. I'm certain you can find someone else who will suit you just as well."

“I suppose, but she is easily accessed, and I’ve interacted with her on more than one occasion.” Kabuto knew that it would take less work to win over Hinata, he just had to turn the charm up a little. “But…if you truly intend to make her the broodmare for your experiment’s children, then I suppose I’ll have to respect that.” Getting on Orochimaru’s bad side would be a mistake, a potentially lethal one.

He didn't know how to respond to that. "You've interacted with her on multiple occasions, have they been positive reactions?" He doubted it. That or not too positive. If she was interested in Kabuto, she wouldn't have gone to Sasuke.

“Neutral, after all, we do work in the same environment, however she had never rebuffed my advances.” She’d never responded to them either, but that might only have taken time. At least, in Kabuto’s eyes.

"Neutral responses and she already is with another man." That didn't sound good for Kabuto. "Well Kabuto, if you can convince her that you're a better choice, I won't interfere. But if I find out that she has rejected you and you are...shall we say less than chivalrous towards her, it won't end well for you." Orochimaru was strange when it came to morals.

The man thought nothing of human experimentation, but apparently there was some small shred of decency in him. Apparently, he drew the line at woman for the most part. "While she would be ideal for a ‘broodmare’ as you call it, I also don't want to deny you a chance at achieving your goals." Hmm. Medical advancement or his colleagues personal advancement. Decisions, decisions. "Do we have an understanding?"

Kabuto didn’t like it. It was hardly a blessing to go after her. “Yes, I understand.” Everything would have been much better if Orochimaru had never lost hold of the Uchiha at all. Curse the CIA for storming the hideout and taking him.

He felt bad for his friend. "The way I see it, you do have at least two advantages on your side." So he offers him a balm to his pride. "He is likely suffering lingering effects of his captivity, emotional and physical. So you are a safer choice and you do share similar occupations. You have more in common."

“Perhaps…” Kabuto would have to look into this relationship. And he knew just where to start. The Uchiha’s past. “I should get back to work now. My personal experiments won’t collect their own data.”

"I hope that your personal attachment to Dr. Hyuga doesn't impact your work." It would be a shame to have to kill Kabuto, but if he became a liability, Orochimaru would. "You've always been my most valued assistant."

“Thank you, Sir.” It wouldn’t, but Kabuto would still be sore if he lost the chance at her. She was very…valuable.

Orochimaru shakes his head. "I suppose if you do manage to win her over, another might catch his eye." They would just have to see. For the time being, getting Sasuke alone was the first priority. Second Generation supersoldiers were second.

* * *

 

Tsunade had never liked that Dr. Yakushi. He was too ambitious, too shifty, and there was just something wrong about him. She never liked giving him important tasks, but one couldn’t deny that he was good at what he did. That did not, however, make her want to crush him under her heel any less. Especially with his latest work coming in perfectly normal.

Too normal. Especially for a case connected to a war prisoner. Everything was just too…clean.

Which is why she was sitting at her desk, just waiting for the sealed, confidential results of that blood test to come in so that she could see for herself that everything was alright. IF everything was alright.

There was a loud knock on her door. “I have the file you requested, may I come in?” Finally Shizune was here.

“Come in!” Tsunade turns in her desk as her assistant, one of the trauma nurses, enters. “You have the results from the lab?”

“I do.” Shizune places the sealed file on the desk between them. “They haven’t been opened once since they finished the bloodwork.”

“Good.” Tsunade reaches for the file, opening it up and pulling out the stack of papers. It was a thicker stack than she expected. That couldn’t be good.

Flicking through the papers, she notes the rapidly elevating hormones, the notes on increased metabolic and fission processes…

This is not what she had expected when she’d gotten Shizune to take an extra large sample of the patient’s blood. The results were both intriguing and perhaps a little frightening. Sasuke's cells were regenerating far faster than the average person. Indicating a faster than average healing rate. Perhaps not superhuman but certainly well beyond what might be considered normal.

Tsunade places the results out on the table. “Shizune, look at these results.” Maybe her assistant could convince her that she wasn’t hallucinating.

Shizune peers at the results, frowns, and then stares at them in shock. "Dr. Tsunade what should we do about this?" Those results weren't normal to put it mildly. "He's not displaying any negative effects, but this is concerning to say the least."

“I don’t know, but you’re right, it is…” And Tsunade had a sinking feeling that she knew why. “It’s increased cell regeneration, but without the cells breaking down after too many replications. Someone has been messing around with his DNA on a molecular level.” And there was only one person that she knew of with the medical knowledge and depravity to conduct an experiment like that on an obviously unwilling patient.

Shizune bites her lower lip. "I can think of only one person capable of such advanced molecular manipulation." Orochimaru. "Dr. Sannin. We need to alert the FBI or...someone."

“Oh, I intend to go to the FBI.” Tsunade was about ready to burst a vessel. “And the CIA. I have a feeling that they’re already aware of who held Sasuke Uchiha.” She’d noticed the feds getting agitated lately. This would explain why. “I will, however, be informing them that his medical condition is not as normal as we believed.”

The brunette nods her head and looks at the results with worried eyes. "I hope that it doesn't adversely affect him." He'd already been through so much. "It just doesn't seem fair."

“I hope so too, but we both know that the world isn’t fair.” If it was, Tsunade imagined that the boy would pursuing an entirely different career path. One in a world where everything was fair, and there was no need for fighting. “I’ll call Jiraiya in the morning.” It was way too late for any of this shit, and Tsunade really needed a drink.


	27. Chapter 27

“I see, thank you Jiraiya. Please tell Dr. Tsunade to hold onto the results, send me a copy, and keep things quiet. We don’t need any more of a media spectacle while he’s still recovering. …Yes, thank you.” Yahiko’s fingers twitch as he puts the phone down. He’d known that Orochimaru was twisted and vile, and deserved to be skinned, but this was just…wrong. Here they thought that Sasuke hadn’t suffered too much permanent physical damage from his year in captivity. It looked like they were very wrong. “Damn it!”

It’s a good thing that he was at his home office, as the house he shared with Konan and Nagato was serving as the team’s base of operations, independent of the CIA, FBI, and the other groups and agencies that might not even know that they had a hand in this team. Otherwise, his boss might have heard him swearing. He’d want to know why. And there was no way that Yahiko was going to share this kind of information with outsiders.

Konan walks over to her lover. "What's wrong?" It wasn't like him to swear. That could only mean that something horrible had happened. "Tell me, My Love." She sits down in his lap and wraps her arms around his neck encouragingly.

“Is Itachi still here?” While Yahiko wanted to indulge in Konan’s comfort, right now was not the time for that. Itachi had slept over at the house in one of the many guest bedrooms. And old friend of his was even on the team, and so the two had decided to share a room to cut down on space.

"Yes, he's still here." Her eyes narrow. "It's about Sasuke, isn't it?" She didn't really need to ask. But she did so out of habit.

“Yes…” Yahiko closes his eyes, gritting his teeth. “I just got the real results of his blood-work.” And he wasn’t sure if, in the long run, this news was a good thing or bad.

Oh God, no! "Were they t-terminal?" Even Konan couldn't keep the tremor out of her voice as she asked that. God help them all, if that was the case.

“No, not at all.” Yahiko opens his eyes, anger glimmering within them. “But now I know what Orochimaru did to him, and why he’s going to be desperate to get Sasuke back. Get Itachi, he needs to hear this.” He laughs dryly, humorlessly. “Though it might give him one less thing to worry about in the long run.”

"I’ll go and get him." She sighs as she kisses his cheek. "Though I must admit that you are scaring me." That wasn't something she said often.

“I know, and I’m sorry.” Yahiko glances to the corner as the printer turns on and starts receiving a fax. There was no question what that was. “But this does answer a lot of questions, believe me.”

She nods and goes to gets Itachi. A few moments moments later, Itachi was back with her in Yahiko's office. "What on Earth is going on?" Itachi eyes Yahiko warily.

Yahiko stands up, moving from his desk to the printer and pulling sheets from the machine, putting them together as his eyes start to skim over them. “My old teacher, Jiraiya, called me a few minutes ago with a message from Tsunade one of the doctors at Mount Sinai. Apparently, someone has been tampering with your brother’s blood-work, or at least the reports, because they kept coming up as normal.” He flicks through the pages, finding the ones he needs. “Tsunade did a blind, independent blood test by sending a sample off to another lab. She got the results back last night.”

"What did they say?!" That might not have been the best way to start off with an explanation. "Is he sick?!" Naturally, Itachi was going to assume the worst. "Is he dying?!"

“Just the opposite. For him, dying just got a lot harder.” Yahiko frowns at the notes on the results. “But it does explain why Sasuke has been healing unnaturally fast.” He hands the papers over to Itachi. “I think that Orochimaru is trying to create a super-soldier, and your brother is the first survivor of the experiments. The first preliminary success.”

Itachi blinks. "That sick bastard has no right to meddle with people's lives this way!" Especially without their consent. "How do we know that this isn't going to harm him in the long-term?"

“Well, we don’t know that. Which is why one of Tsunade’s notes includes that she should be the one to conduct his routine physical examinations.” Yahiko was never more thankful for the military’s diligence in that matter. “All active-duty personnel undergo routine exams to check their health, so that’s the best way to keep an eye on the situation. As for the long term…” And here, Yahiko’s contempt of Orochimaru only grew, despite having to acknowledge that the man was a genius. “It looks like his cells have become resistant to degeneration associated with replicating too much. And his hormones are shooting to the tops of the charts. Long term, I see the most prominent change happening in his diet. His appetite it only going to increase, going forward. As for the rest…” Yahiko shakes his head. “I can only imagine.”

"If the worst effect is he starts to eat more than normal, I think he can learn to live with that." Itachi could only pray that was the worst that was going to happen. "I can't lie though, this makes me extremely uneasy." How on Earth was he supposed to explain this to Sasuke?

“I don’t like it either…” Yahiko considers the issue a moment longer. “Itachi, I’m asking in a symptomatic sense. But have Sasuke’s emotions seemed…up and down lately? I mean, outside of his attacks and what you would expect? Has he been unusually happy, or unusually sad? Aggressive maybe? Anything?” After all, with all of the hormones pumping through his system, it would be a surprise if Sasuke wasn’t a bit more uppity than usual. “Are his emotions stronger and more visible than they used to be?”

Itachi shakes his head. "No. He seems perfectly normal." He pauses. "Well that probably has something to do with the fact that he has a girlfriend now. Sasuke clearly adores her, but other than that...no. I haven't really noticed anything unusual. He seems to be getting better. His nightmares are coming less often for instance."

“Less often, or less loudly?” Yahiko wasn’t so sure that the nightmares would be getting better so quickly. If they were, that would be incredible. But Sasuke still seemed…haunted whenever he came for his weekly therapy sessions.

"I think less often, but the latter might be a possibility." Maybe, Itachi was deluding himself a bit. "I know that one doesn't recover this quickly mentally. I’m not saying that he's completely over it, that would be impossible." He had been making such progress though! "But he's...taking steps in the right direction. Important ones."

“Physically, yes.” Yahiko couldn’t deny that. “But considering his breakdown at the last session, I think that whatever memories he’s repressed are starting to come back, slowly. Too slowly for him to make sense of, but I imagine that most of that year’s memories are garbled, since his sense of time had stopped working a few weeks into his imprisonment.”

Itachi didn't want to believe it, but it was probably true. "And what should we do about that?" Because he was at a loss and he didn't like it.

The mind was a lot more complicated than the body, Yahiko knew that. “You be the supportive older brother, Konan will go on trying to help Sasuke, and we hope that his new girlfriend can help him work through what’s going to show itself. And whenever we’re not on Sasuke Duty…” He goes to his desk and turns on his computer. “We hunt down that snake and take a face off the wanted wall.”

"Well I was hoping for a more well outlined plan with concrete steps for the last part, but I suppose we have no other choice." For the moment that was all that they could do and damn it, that frustrated him.

Yahiko laughs wryly. “If you want concrete steps, go and hunt down a bad guy who actually makes sense. We’re after a mad genius, not a serial killer.” Yahiko blinks at his own words, before looking back up at Itachi. “Wait a minute. We’re after both…” He logs into the computer, quickly going into his deepest and most secret files. “Itachi, if I give you everything we know about Orochimaru, and call in some help from Tsunade and Jiraiya, do you think that you can try to make a psychological profile of him?” It was a long shot, considering how twisted Orochimaru was, but Itachi did specialize in just that.

He nods. He could profile anyone. "I can make a file." Though Itachi wasn't sure how much good it would do at least he'd be doing something that he could tell himself might be productive.

Yahiko grins excitedly. “I guess it’ll take a genius to profile a genius. But if you hit any roadblocks, ask Konan for help. She has as much insight as you do into psychology, if…not quite as specialized. If we have a proper profile instead of speculation, it should show us just how he manages to slip by us so easily.” And once they knew that, they could stop him. They might actually be able to make a plan for once.

"Are you telling me that no one has ever profiled this man before?!" What kind of amateurs were in the CIA these days?! "That seems like something that should have been done a long time ago, but very well. I shall get started as soon as I have the information and I’m sure Konan's input will be invaluable."

Yahiko’s smile fades. “Itachi. It’s not that no one has ever tried to profile him before, plenty of specialists and experts have tried. It’s just that no one has succeeded.”

Itachi raises an eyebrow. "The concept of sadistic bastard really eluded them all?" He shakes his head. "I'll do it." After all, he needed to find this abomination and make him pay for what he did to his brother. Profiling him would make finding him easier.

“Good.” Who knows, maybe Itachi really would be able to profile the unprofileable. Not that that was a word, but Yahiko digressed. “You’d better be ready to do some research, because I’m pretty sure this guy has complexes and personality disorders that don’t even have names yet. Every time we thought we had him nailed down, he surprised us. His mind might as well be a nuclear bunker. But good luck. And I’ll try and collect as many of the attempted profiles as I can from the CIA and other international contacts.” Yahiko could already see the stack of paper. “I’ll warn you, though, there’s going to be hundreds.”

"Well then I suppose it's a very good thing that I took speed reading in high school." Itachi glances at him. "I'll make the profile. There will be no trying involved.” Only doing.

“Yes, Master Yoda.” Yahiko shakes his head as an explosion goes off downstairs. “…But before you do that, would you mind making sure that Kisame and Deidara don’t destroy the kitchen. Nagato would kill me if we had to remodel it again.”

Itachi blinks. "What the flying fuck was that?" He goes downstairs to see what Kisame and Deidara had done this time.

Kisame had gone into security almost right out of high school, recruited to this team in case they needed some serious muscle. Deidara, on the other hand, specialized in explosives. Mostly setting them off, but occasionally disposal if the bomb squad couldn’t handle it. The man had no fear of being blown up, that’s for sure.

Which is why the kitchen, mostly the stove, was an absolute mess. Somehow, Kisame had managed to start making some kind of fish dish, and Deidara had wanted to help, and something…exploded? Just…how?

“You weren’t supposed to make it explode, Deidara!” The giant blue man shakes globs of fish paste off his clothes.

The blond cringes as he shakes it out of his long ponytail. “Well I thought that it smelled weird, so I made it better, yeah!” Everything was covered in fishy-smelling paste.

Itachi shakes his head. "New rule, you two are barred from cooking." Ever. "Just order delivery next time." He looks around at the damage and sighs. This was going to take awhile to clean up.

Kisame looks down at his long-time friend, frowning. “You know a place that delivers fish pancakes for breakfast?” If he did, that would be amazing, because Kisame would love to know the name of that place. It would make his morning security stints so much more enjoyable.

"Well not off hand, but if you offer enough money, most places will make a special order." Forget Orochimaru. "At least that has been my experience." Anyone who ate fish pancakes was clearly harder to profile. Seriously, what the fuck was that?!

Kisame pauses to consider it, and Deidara just stares at him with disgust. “Ya gotta add sweet red beans to it, yeah! Or it’ll taste too fishy!” That explained why the goo on the walls and counters looked kind of reddish brown.

"Are you two fucking?" They were making breakfast together. "I didn't even know Kisame liked men." But Deidara looked enough like a woman anyway, that it wasn't entirely a stretch. Maybe, the blond had brought out latent bisexual tendencies or something out of the shark lover.

Kisame shrugs. “Only when we’re bored.”

Itachi facefaults. "I was joking!!!" Ahhh! The mental images! The mental images!

As Itachi excuses himself hurriedly from the kitchen, Kisame and Deidara burst out laughing at the mortified expression on the agent’s face. Gold, absolute gold.

"I can't believe he thought we were serious!" Deidara laughs. "Yeah?!"

Kisame smirks at the empty hallway. “Itachi’s always been pretty serious, cept when it comes to his little brother. He’s fun to mess with.”

The blond smirks. Good to know. "Well that was fun. Let's go order some food." He laughs as he reaches for the phone and begins dialing.

“Pizza, might as well make it enough for everyone.” They had a big pool of money for the team since Kakuzu was around to manage finances. They dipped into some various funds set aside for…special cases that their various agencies worked on. This was one such case, so they could manage pizza, at least. “Oh, and I know this place that does bulk discount.” Yeah, this was going to be an interesting…partnership.

* * *

 

Hinata smiles and snuggles up to Sasuke, just as the sun's light was starting to peak through the window. "I'm tempted to call in sick again, but Tsunade would probably kill me." She runs her hands along his arms. "It's still really really tempting." As far as she was concerned, basking in the afterglow all day sounded extremely appealing, but unfortunately she still had responsibilities. More cuddling would just have to wait until she got off work.

Sasuke smiles and opens his eyes, rolling her on top of him and gazing up at her. “I know. But you should go. Taking a day off is one thing, doing it repeatedly is a bad habit, even if it’s for me.” And even if his interest was currently pressing into her backside. Oh well, there was always a shower for that.

"I know." She leans down and kisses him. "You can stay here, if you want and I'll see you when I get off work." Hinata suggests. "Or I could stop by Itachi's place."

Sasuke sighs, his smile fading a little. “I’ll head back to Itachi’s place. He’s apparently got a few things to tell me.” And Sasuke was definitely going to get to the bottom of whatever Itachi was hiding from him.

Hinata's eyes drift south. "Well you'll probably want to take a shower first." She giggles and kisses his cheek. "I'll stop by Itachi's after work as soon as I can." It was hard to leave him, but apparently that wasn't the only thing that was hard. "I should probably get dressed." She sighs and gets off of him heading to her closet.

“Yeah…” Sasuke turns onto his side, watching was Hinata collects some clothes from her closet. She looked gorgeous walking around naked. So gorgeous that Sasuke was tempted to encourage a rule to not wear clothing inside the house.

She throws on a pair of black silk panties and a matching bra as she looks around for her uniform. "You were great at the party." She smiles at him as she finds her uniform and tugs on her shirt. "And at...well everything else."

“I try.” Sasuke couldn’t help but feel smug at the compliments. “And you made a beautiful princess last night.” He was perfectly content to just lie there and watch the show. She looked very beautiful in black silk, he definitely preferred it to the uniform. It was far too…conservative for his tastes.

"Well my prince deserves only the best." She tosses on her pants and her jacket. "I should be able to swing by Itachi's around five, if I'm lucky." Hinata knew that there was a chance she might not be. "And seven, if I'm not."

“Alright.” He figured that after talking to Itachi, they’d go to the base and work out a little before heading home again. He could take a shower when he got home. Maybe he should start storing spare clothes here. He was starting to stay over enough that it would be a prudent idea.

She nods and heads out the door. It was hard to leave him behind, but she'd see him that night. So that made it a bit easier. "Well time to get back to work." Hinata decides.

* * *

 

Not long after, she arrives at the hospital and heads for her office. Most likely her first patient would be arriving in oh… about ten minutes.

As she makes for the elevator to take her up to the seventh floor, another form walks down the hallway, gently cutting her off before arriving at the metal doors. “Ah, hello Dr. Hyuga, it’s good to see you this morning.” Dr. Kabuto Yakushi, a lab technician who worked on the fifth floor.

She nods at him politely. "Good morning, Dr. Yakushi." He was a colleague and a certain level of civility was necessary. "Please excuse me, I have to get to my office." And with that, she tries to sneak passed him. It wasn't a lie. She did have to get to her office, but mostly she just wanted to get away from him.

Kabuto takes his chance quickly. “Actually, I would like to speak with you about a patient of yours that I’ve been monitoring the blood-work for.” That should get her attention. “A…Captain Sasuke Uchiha?”

"Yes, he's a patient of mine." Hinata nods and bites her lower lip nervously. "Was something wrong with his bloodwork?" He seemed so much better now. Surely, if he was sick..he wouldn't have been able to be that attentive last night. Right?

“No, his blood-work is fine, I just…” Best to appear concerned. Compassion was a trait women liked. “I worry about the patients whose blood I work, even if it comes out as expected. Is he doing alright? Did his physiotherapy seem to improve his condition?”

She sighs in relief. "You scared me for a moment." Her heart had been about to pound out of her chest. "You know that I’m not really allowed to discuss the details of such things, but I believe he's well on the road to physical recovery."

Well, that was frustrating, but Kabuto wasn’t giving up just yet. “Well, you’re not speaking with an outsider, I AM involved with his case. I just wanted to check whatever your observations were against the fluctuations in his results. It’s for a more thorough understanding of anything that is either going right or wrong.” She wasn’t trying to push him away, that was good, so he felt safe in inching a little closer.

"Yes, I know. Well...considering the unique nature of his case, I've been surprised at how well his recovery is going." She didn't like talking about Sasuke's case, but she also didn't want to cause a scene in the middle of a hallway. "There's nothing that stands out to be as a cause for concern physically. He's on track to make a full recovery in that respect."

“I see, that’s good.” That was only to be expected, what with the…modifications they had made. Kabuto cautiously ventures a soft touch to Hinata’s shoulder. “Well, I’m sure that he’s thankful to have such a dedicated lady attending to his recovery.”

Hinata nods. "He's a very cooperative patient." She smiles at him. "Well speaking of patients, I have one that is due to arrive in a few moments." The bluenette turns the knob on the door in a polite dismissal.

“Hinata!” Sasuke’s voice echoes down the hallway as he turns the corner. “You forgot your bag.”

"Oh. Right!" She darts down the hall. "Coming!" The Hyuga woman races over and takes her bag from Sasuke. "Thank you." She looks at him in concern. "Shouldn't you be resting though?" Well hopefully Kabuto had gotten the hint and slunk off somewhere went she went over to Sasuke. She didn't feel like getting interrogated about her bag.

“Yeah, I was, but…” His eyes narrow on Kabuto, who had only just started to turn around when Hinata came sprinting for him. “…Hinata…w-who was that?” His hands start to shake, anger and fear racing through his veins in equal measure.

"Oh that's just one of the doctors that works here." She tilts her head. "Sasuke, are you alright? Your hands are shaking."

Sasuke’s vision starts to blur as the world spins around him. He felt cold, couldn’t breathe. That face, he knew that face. “K-Kabuto…” It was one of the faces that haunted his nightmares.

"Yes, his name is Kabuto." Hinata gasps as she sees Sasuke begin to wobble. "Sasuke! Stay with me!" She presses an alert button on a wristband of her hospital communicator. "Patient might be losing consciousness! I need another doctor!" She wraps her arms around Sasuke, just in case he fell. "It's okay. It's okay."

“H-he’s one…of the ones…who-” Images flash in front of his eyes, blocking out everything around him. Those faces. Orochimaru’s pale face and yellow eyes. And his assistant, the silver-haired one with the glasses. Kabuto.

Hinata wasn't sure if Kabuto actually was what was causing Sasuke’s fear or not. It was possible that Sasuke just mistook him for a torturer because they looked alike, but she knew she needed to calm him down. "It's okay. He's not going to hurt you." She brushes her lips against his, trying to distract him. "We'll call Itachi and see if he can make an ID."

He couldn’t breathe. No light. No sound. Pain, so much pain. Burning in his veins, tearing open his back. Screams. His own. Throat sore. Voice hoarse. Voice gone. No sound, not even his own.

Luckily, another doctor arrives and Sasuke gets rushed to the emergency room. Hinata watches anxiously as she pulls out her phone and calls Itachi. "Sasuke had an attack and I need you to look up everything you can on Dr. Kabuto Yakushi."

Itachi blinks, pulling the phone from his ear for a second. He hadn’t even had the chance to say anything, and Hinata sounded frantic. That was bad. “Hinata, what’s going on!? Why did Sasuke have an attack? And why is Kabuto Yakushi in need of investigating?” She’d told him one thing, and demanded another. And he was only vaguely aware that the two were somehow connected. He had a profile to put together, and it was proving to be…difficult, to put it mildly.

"I don't know if it's true or not." Hinata tries to will herself to calm down enough to explain. "But Sasuke thinks Kabuto was one of the men who did those awful things to him!" It was so hard though. She felt like she was going to have a panic attack herself. "And he fainted. Sasuke is in the E.R. now. Kabuto doesn't know that I know that he might be one of the attackers though." As she was saying all this, Hinata made sure to keep her voice low so no one would overhear her conversation with the elder Uchiha Brother.

…Okay, Itachi could derail his profiling for a little while for something like that. “I’m on it.” If this Kabuto was one of the bastards who touched his baby brother…nothing would protect him. “Look after Sasuke, I’ll tell the others.” It looked like telling Sasuke about Orochimaru would have to wait.

"T-Thank you." Hinata stammers out as she hangs up and heads back to check on Sasuke. She walks over to one of the E.R. nurses. "How is he?"

The nurse shakes her head. “He’s unconscious. He had a massive panic attack, and he’s lucky that he didn’t hurt himself. Luckily, he didn’t hit his head, and so he doesn’t have a concussion. Still, we need to check his blood pressure and his blood sugar levels. Low blood sugar could have contributed to his loss of consciousness.”

"Thank goodness for small miracles." Somehow, Hinata doubted it was low blood sugar. Could it be true that she had been working with one of Sasuke's torturers this whole time. "Best to be thorough." She suddenly felt rather ill.

The nurse nods, returning her attention to the unconscious patient. His face was pale, paler than usual, and his fingers still twitched, his features scrunching slightly, as though having a nightmare.

Her heart ached for her lover. "Sasuke." This morning had been wonderful and now, he was unconscious in the Emergency Room.


	28. Chapter 28

Kakashi was almost certain that Itachi was going to burn himself out at this rate. Did he think to switch between his two projects? No, of course not. The profiler was determined to do everything himself as fast as he could. Though not as fast as he would like.

As one of the contacts helping the team track down Orochimaru, Kakashi had been allowed into Konan’s home so that he could help ‘advise’ on the case. What that translated to, however, was that he was here to stop Itachi from going insane with the amount of work he was doing. Not only was he trying to profile a man who had never been successfully figured out, but he was also looking into a doctor at Mount Sinai who might have had something to do with Sasuke’s year in captivity.

He cautiously places his hands on Itachi’s shoulders. “You’ve been at this for almost twenty hours, Itachi, you need to take a break and get some sleep.”

"No, I need to find out more about Orochimaru and Kabuto." He lightly tries to swat his lover's hands away. "The two seem to go back years." So there was a good chance that Sasuke was right. Kabuto might actually be one of Sasuke's tormentors. Which meant, Orochimaru was likely lurking nearby. "I'll sleep when I'm done." Itachi wasn't going to stop now. Not when he was so close. "Now, be a good soldier. Fetch me some more coffee."

Kakashi sighs, removing his hands from Itachi’s shoulders. “One more, then I cut you off and I’ll put you to bed when you drop.” He had to draw a line somewhere, and this was him drawing it in the sand. “Sasuke would never forgive you if you landed yourself in the hospital because of him.”

He raises an eyebrow. Kakashi was getting strange notions in his head. "Kakashi, I am a big boy. I will decide when I need to sleep and when I've had enough coffee!" He turns his attention back to his background check on Kabuto. He was satisfied that he had reestablished the fact that Kakashi was not the boss of him! Hmpf!

Damn it. He really must be sleepy, if he was having such childish thoughts. Well no matter. Itachi was close. He'd get some sleep soon, but Kakashi didn't need to know that. He'd think he'd won or something!

“One more cup.” Kakashi heads over to the coffeemaker, which had ‘mysteriously’ migrated over near where Itachi was working. He pours the espresso straight black into Itachi’s mug, handing it to him. “And then you sleep. Don’t think that I don’t know how to deal with stubbornness, I did a couple of terms as a drill sergeant.”

He takes the cup and drinks deeply. "Pft. What are you going to do, make me do twenty push-ups?" Itachi was most assuredly not scared of Kakashi.

Kakashi leans down to Itachi’s ear, smirking. “I’m sure I could think up something better than push-ups.” After all, he’d gotten fairly creative over the years at disciplining people when the time called for it. Mental warfare was just as effective as making them do back-breaking numbers of push-ups.

Itachi shivers slightly. "I'm not sure if that's a threat or a promise." He yawns though. Twenty hours without sleep was not good on the body. "Anyway, as I was saying, Kabuto has been Orochimaru's favorite bootlicker for a while..."

“And?” Kakashi nods his head, taking a seat next to Itachi. “How is it that no one pegged this guy? How is he working at Mount Sinai? And what exactly does he do for Orochimaru?”

"The man's got quite the impressive educational background and served overseas as part of a humanitarian program. Sending doctors to warzones." Itachi doubted Kabuto had done so out of the goodness of his own heart. "The time frame matches up rather neatly with when Sasuke went missing and he only came back a few weeks before Sasuke did." In theory, it was possible.

Kakashi’s eyes narrow at a picture of the man. “…Sasuke’s last mission involved the rescue of civilians that we didn’t know were present. But something alarming that was reported and kept as classified information is that inside the base, apart from just the munitions we expected, there was also a laboratory. From what we can tell, the civilians had been held with the intent to experiment on them, but we managed to intervene before any damage was done.”

"It seems at one point, Orochimaru taught at the medical school Kabuto attended and for a brief period, Kabuto was his teaching assistant." Itachi glances over the information with tired eyes. "They questioned him after Orochimaru went MIA, but they didn't find anything suspicious on him. My best bet is Kabuto was helping him run those experiments."

“That would make sense.” And it left a bad taste in Kakashi’s mouth. “If they were there, the two must have escaped before Sasuke set off the explosion that destroyed the base. If they hid somewhere nearby, it would have given them the perfect opportunity to extract Sasuke from the rubble while salvaging whatever they could. They might have mistaken him for a civilian who couldn’t escape.”

Itachi nods grimly. "It's quite possible." Though what was less clear was what they were going to do about this situation. "When Sasuke wakes up, it's likely he'll try to go after Kabuto..."

“That’s assuming that he can think about Kabuto without having another attack.” And that’s what had Kakashi concerned. Sasuke’s attack was severe enough this time to land him in the ER. What would happen the next time he had an attack?

"True. Though I’d be more worried about Sasuke doing the attacking." He shakes his head. "We need hardcore evidence to nail them. Orochimaru is one thing, he's wanted by several agencies. Kabuto's hands are clean as far as the law is concerned." Itachi sighs. "We can hardly arrest him for having a professor on the Most Wanted List and being on the same side of the globe as when Sasuke was captured."

“Then what we need is to catch Kabuto with his hands in the cookie jar.” Kakashi was worried, sure, but he trusted Sasuke to at least try to keep his head on straight and not fly off the handle. If it came down to it, he would order Sasuke to stand down. “We need to catch him with Orochimaru, or better yet, catch him with a solid lead to Orochimaru. Sasuke’s eyewitness testimony might not convince a court because of the trauma, but it should be more than enough to convince certain members of the FBI and CIA to perform a more…thorough investigation.” Kakashi glances pointedly at Itachi. “And if he is providing information to Orochimaru, especially about military personnel…that’s treason.”

Itachi nods in agreement. "That's true." He sighs. "I really don't know what I would do without you." He stretches and yawns. "Well that's a good start for now."

“Work yourself into the hospital.” Kakashi takes hold of Itachi’s arm, putting the computer to sleep as he pulls Itachi from the couch. “Now, it’s time for bed. So unless you’d like for me to go Drill Sergeant on your ass, humor me.”

"I don't know. That kinda sounds tempting." Itachi rests his head on Kakashi's shoulder. "But…well, I need the sleep." He closes his eyes and begins to doze off while standing up.

Kakashi chuckles at the sight of the younger man dozing off in his arms. Slipping his arm under Itachi’s legs, he sweeps the agent up into his arms and carries him off towards the guest bedrooms. “Maybe less coffee next time.”

* * *

 

Meanwhile Hiashi figured it was best to have a discussion with his business rival. He couldn't believe that Fugaku hadn't even mentioned that his son was dating Hinata! He was going to get to the bottom of this. With that in mind, he dials Fugaku's business cell. He didn't have his home number, but this was serious business anyway!

“…Fugaku Uchiha, speaking.” As stoic and aloof as ever, even when answering the personal phone meant for business.

"Good. I demand answers!" Hiashi glares at the phone as if it was the cause of all his misfortunes. "I know that we are business rivals most of the time, but I would have thought you would have the decency to inform me that your son is dating my daughter!"

Perhaps Fugaku should have held the phone further from his ear. The Hyuga was very loud. “If I thought that it was my place to interfere, I would have. However, Sasuke’s decisions are his own, and he refuses intervention. Telling you would only have brought yet another wall between us.” And Fugaku was getting sick of the walls.

Hiashi snorts on the other end of the line. "And you approve of this match?" He had to be out of his mind. Surely, Fugaku was smart enough to realize that Sasuke shouldn't be dating anyone! Let alone someone as innocent as his daughter. "I gave them my reluctant blessing with the usual warnings, but only because I saw the way they looked at each other."

Fugaku huffs quietly. “Whether I approve of the match or not is irrelevant. Sasuke has long since stopped respecting whether or not I approve of something. He did, after all, join the military after I told him that he would be throwing away his future. As you can see, he cares little for my opinion in what he decides to do.”

"He's stubborn." Hiashi snorts again. "And arrogant. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree in that respect. Sadly, I can't blame Hinata for the attraction. He's attractive, intelligent, and he did sacrifice himself to save the lives of hundreds of people. She has always been a traditional romantic. The thought of a white knight probably appeals to her."

Fugaku wasn’t too sure if he was happy about that description of his son. “It is not as though my opinion matters in this, as I know just how stubborn, prideful, and willful my son can be, but is there a point to this? Is there a reason apart from his trauma that you disapprove? His condition has improved immensely since beginning his relationship with your daughter. Our…relationship aside, I have no reason to disapprove of her dating my son, despite his vulnerable state. And according to Itachi, Sasuke offered to walk away, quite insistently. It seems that she was the one to decide that the relationship was worth pursuing.” After all, he could hardly ask Sasuke that, and he wanted to know SOMETHING about his son.

"It's the fact that he's still recovering from a severe trauma mostly." Hiashi shakes his head over the phone. "That and well...they are just so different. Hinata is so shy and your son isn't. Though it does surprise me that she appears to have been the aggressor..."

“Perhaps not shy, but he’s anxious, at the very least.” Which was an understatement, in Fugaku’s mind, if news of Sasuke’s latest collapse was anything to go by. “She is helping Sasuke to heal, and he is happier with her than I have seen him in a long time. The trauma from this…incident is unlikely to ever disappear, and your daughter may not be a psychologist, but I’m sure that she knows that. Despite that, as she is willing, and downright insistent on being with my son, I am in no position to refuse either of them.”

Hiashi shakes his head. "Well if the relationship lasts, I think the universe is playing some sort of joke on us." They were business rivals after all. "We'll have to merge or go after other markets. She does glow when she's next to him though. As much as it makes me anxious given his unique situation, I don't want to take that from her..."

“Yes, they are certainly rather glued to each other. Sasuke spends quite a lot of time at her house.” It worried Fugaku a little, to have Sasuke out of Itachi’s sight, but his son was getting stronger by the day, at least physically, so it should be alright as long as Hinata can keep him calm.

"God help us both, if he proposes." Hiashi could scarcely begin to imagine the field day that his wife would have over that. "Our wives will never let us have a moment's peace and they'll probably buy enough baby clothes to clothe a small village, if Hinata actually gets pregnant by him."

“Seeing as your daughter is a doctor, I doubt that there’s much to worry about for now in terms of grandchildren. She would know her contraception well. And Sasuke likely has the presence of mind to realize that children are best left for after his life has…normalized.” At least, Fugaku sure hoped he did. Sasuke was making great strides, to be sure. But Fugaku wasn’t sure if he was mentally prepared for children yet. Then again, who was?

"I was thinking more long-term." Hiashi shrugs. He could call Sasuke a lot of things, but careless wasn't one of them. "I'm certain that he is not foolish enough to try to bed my daughter this early on in any case, and she is well versed in taking the necessary precautions. As I’m sure he is." He had better NOT be foolish enough to be bedding his daughter anyway!

Ah, Hiashi, ever the traditionalist. Fugaku would call it…unrealistic. “You didn’t make such a fuss when Uzumaki was with your daughter.”

"Well that's different." Hiashi pauses. "He's a nice boy, but not the most perceptive. I’m quite certain that they weren't intimate for at least a year after they started dating."

“And for that, I pity the poor girl.” Fugaku couldn’t imagine not being intimate with Mikoto for a whole year. It was inconceivable! Those six months after Sasuke had left were absolute torture. “Well, if and when they are intimate, I’m sure that Sasuke will be more than capable of pleasing her.”

"It just as well. He was her first real boyfriend. Best to practice before diving into the deep end." Hiashi sputters at that next part. "You're such a deviant! I was considering the practical implications! I have no desire to discuss your son's...skill in that area!"

“Of course not.” Fugaku taps his fingers on his desk impatiently. “Now, is there anything that I can actually help you with, or did you simply call to rant?” If it was the latter, then Fugaku was done with this conversation.

"This was not ranting. Ranting would be informing you that you have the most horrific taste in wine that I have ever seen." Seriously, the man was absolutely hopeless. "No. That's...essentially it though."

“…I presume that my poor taste in wine is a result of my preference for whiskey.” Fugaku wasn’t nearly the lightweight that Hiashi was. He could hold his liquor.

"Whatever you wish to tell yourself is fine with me." Hiashi smirks. "In any case, I have a meeting in a few minutes. So goodbye for now."

“Yes, goodbye Hiashi.” Fugaku sighs dryly, rolling his eyes. He hangs up the call, staring irritably at the phone. “I can’t believe the man called me for THAT.”

"And I can't believe I've been standing here for five minutes behind you and you didn't notice." Mikoto giggles and Fugaku feels something soft and feathery brush against his face?

Fugaku blinks, turning to look at his wife, who has a mischievous smirk on her face. “Mikoto? What are you doing here?” He didn’t get off work for another few hours.

Fortunately, her husband had a home office as well as a corporate one. "You work far too hard and you should just call it an early day." As if to illustrate her point, she sits in his lap. Apparently, the feathery object was actually a feather duster and his wife was wearing a French Maid outfit. "Don't you agree?"

Fugaku gulps. He hated it when she did that, because it made it impossible to get any work done. On the other hand, he loved it, because…well, it’s not like anyone knew how Itachi had been conceived.

"Gulping wasn't exactly the reaction I was hoping for." She shakes her head in amusement. "I thought that you might like to try something new. Emiko suggested this one."

After Emiko had politely called Mikoto to inform her of the impending storm that was likely about to grip both of their houses due to their furious husbands discovering their children were dating, the two of them had struck up a friendship. And well, the woman did have a lot of good ideas. It was always the quiet ones. "Of course, if you don't like it, I can just let you get back to work."

It would be foolish to turn down a woman dressed like a maid, especially if that woman was your wife. And despite what his sons might think, Fugaku Uchiha was not a fool.

* * *

 

Sasuke had never felt so unrested after such a long sleep. He had no idea how long he’d slept, he just knew it had been a while. And the nightmares…they were back in full force.

Kabuto. One of the faces that haunted his nightmares.

He blinks himself half-awake, looking groggily at a familiar white ceiling. “…Again…?” Why is it that he kept ending up in the hospital? The hospital where-

He sits up in a panic, eyes darting around the room, searching only for the threat of silver hair. His body shakes, his spirit shaking just as hard at the memories of the man who helped to-

No air, can’t breathe, need air!

Hinata quickly places a paper bag over his mouth. "Breathe, Sasuke." Her heart felt like it was going to cry at the sight of her lover like this. "It's okay."

Air, warm, thick air…Sasuke breathes in and out, over and over, feeling the bag pressed to his face. His eyes flick to the hands, connected to the arms, the shoulders, neck, and then face of his helper. Hinata… His gaze softens as he breathes more deeply with each repetition. It was Hinata, he was safe. Safe…

She sighs in relief when she notices his eyes looked less panicked. "That's better." Hinata could only hope that Itachi would be able to come up with something. "It's alright." She smiles at him and caresses his cheek. "You're safe."

He nods, lowering the bag from his face. “Thank you, Hinata…” But even though he was safe with her, Kabuto could come in here any minute and- He shakes his head. No, it wouldn’t help to think like that. He needed to get out of here and fast. He couldn’t be anywhere near here. “Take me home.”

"Alright." She helps him up and checks him out of the hospital. "Come on. Let's get you back to Itachi's place." Hinata holds his hand reassuringly as she leads him back to her car.

Once in the car, Sasuke’s nerves start to calm, calming further with every block they make it away from that place. “…He works with you?” He couldn’t believe it. Seeing Kabuto, that sadistic bastard…here of all places. THIS is why hospitals weren’t safe.

"Well...not with, with me." She really needed to make sure he didn't freak out more. "Same hospital, but not the same floor." She pulls into the parking lot of a mall and takes out her cell, texting Itachi. "I'm going to give your brother a heads up and tell him to meet us at his place."

Sasuke nods, his mind drifting back into dark places. Kabuto had found him. That lunatic knew who and where he was. That could only mean one thing, in the end. Orochimaru was probably still out there, and he was coming.

"Sasuke, focus on me. Not on him." Hinata kisses his cheek before firing off the first text.

**_Itachi, please head to your apartment now. Sasuke is awake and I'm taking him there. ~ Hinata_ **

**_I’m on my way to my car now, and I’m bringing Kakashi with me. ~ Itachi_ **

**_Thank you. I'll be there in a few minutes. He's pretty shaken up. ~ Hinata_ **

**_Alright, we’ll meet you there. Sasuke has a key. Use it. ~ Itachi_ **

"Itachi says you have a key." Hinata looks at Sasuke, before she drives them back to Itachi's place.

“Yeah, I do.” That was a given, of course. Sasuke and Itachi usually arrived home at different hours, so they both needed keys in case the other was out. “Itachi gave it to me a while ago.”

She nods as they pull up into the driveway, a few minutes later. "Good. I'd rather not stand around waiting outside for your brother to show up." Hinata smiles at him.

“Yeah…” Sasuke didn’t want to risk waiting around outside either. Which is why he opened the door, only to pull Hinata inside and lock it back up again.

Hinata eeps as she was pulled inside rather suddenly. "It's okay, Sasuke." She hugs him. "Itachi is looking into it."

“It’s still safer in here.” Sasuke doubted that Kabuto would have followed them here, but it was never wrong to be at least a little cautious. And keeping Hinata safe was his top priority.

She snuggles against him. "I know, but it's okay. We'll figure this out."

Sasuke shakes his head. “Hinata, this is one thing you DON’T want to figure out.” He wraps his arms around her tighter, moving back towards the couch, his eyes on the door. He could just sense someone approaching the door.

"You can't live with not knowing forever." She nudges him into he was sitting on the couch and sits in his lap, cuddling to him as Itachi and Kakashi make their way inside.

Sasuke’s nerves relax a little as his brother locks the door behind them. “Kakashi, got your Beretta on you?”

The colonel nods. “Same place as usual.” What was unusual, though, was to see Sasuke so spooked. Usually, he recovered from attacks fairly well. Not this time…

Hinata cuddles closer to him. "See, he's armed and I'm sure Itachi is too." She just wanted to make him feel better, but she didn't know how.

“Good.” Sasuke’s hands stop trembling. He hadn’t even noticed they were doing that in the first place. “Itachi…what do you know about Kabuto?” Hinata had mentioned that Itachi was looking into it, after all. And if anyone knew anything, it would be his brother.

"It seems that he attended some very high end medical schools." Itachi braces himself for impact. "And he was a teacher's assistant at one of them. More specifically, Orochimaru's." This wasn't going to be pretty. "He was part of a charity program overseas. Doctors would be sent overseas to help countries who were experiencing doctor shortages due to various tragedies. He was overseas when you were captured. The timeline lines up, but it is circumstantial at best."

Sasuke’s fists clench tightly. “He was there. He was the one who-” He swallows thickly. “…who performed most of the injections. He did it while…while Orochimaru watched.” At least, most of the time. “Sometimes…he took notes while-” His head started to spin again, so he clutched at Hinata for some kind of support, laying his head on her shoulder. “He was there, no doubt about it.”

Hinata holds him tightly and kisses his cheek. "It's alright. You're with us now." She had always thought Kabuto was a bit pushy in his advances, but she had never thought him capable of this. Hinata was sincerely considering borrowing her father's katana and doing a little surgery. Removing Kabuto's dick without anesthesia sounded like a good start and if she just happened to forget to deal with the blood loss...well these types of things happened. "You've said enough. You don't have to talk about it anymore unless it's to convict him."

“Yeah…” Though Sasuke knew that it wasn’t going to be enough to stop Kabuto from haunting him anyway. “What else did you find out?” He assumed that Itachi knew more than just Kabuto’s back-story. He was more efficient than that.

"He's very close to Orochimaru. Probably his favorite lapdog." Itachi really didn't want to go into further details. "If he's around, eventually we can lure Orochimaru out."

“Because of me.” Sasuke’s eyes cloud with anger. “Because I was his favorite, and I’m still alive.” And Orochimaru would want him back.

Hinata clutches Sasuke tightly. "We aren't going to let that happen again." She kisses his cheek. "We'll lure him out, but I’m not letting that freak touch you again."

Sasuke closes his eyes and shakes his head. “Hinata, go home.” There was no way he was going to let Hinata get in the middle of this. “Or better yet, go and stay with your father. It’s too dangerous to be here right now.” Orochimaru may be sadistic, but Sasuke knew that he was the only one in the room aware of just how sadistic. Hinata couldn’t be anywhere near when the storm hit.

"Sasuke, I love you." She sighs and holds him even tighter. "But this is one time, where I’m not going to give you what you want. I can't leave you when this is going on." Hinata looks at him with sad eyes. "I'm not going to hide in my father's home and hope that some crazy person doesn't grab you again!"

Sasuke’s eyes flick to his brother. “Itachi, would you take her home? We can’t get a civilian involved in this.” At least he was trained to deal with difficult situations. Hinata…all she had was martial arts training. That wouldn’t help against an organized abduction. And is something happened to her…Sasuke would never forgive himself.

Itachi blinks. "You want me to get in the middle of this?" Was he crazy?!

Hinata shakes her head. "Sasuke, I’m not going anywhere." This time she was going to put her foot down. It was one thing to indulge him when it came to lovemaking, it was another to just hide somewhere while he was in danger!

“I don’t want you to die, dammit!” Sasuke turns her around on his lap, glaring at her. “Which is exactly what is going to happen if you get in the way! Or worse, he’ll take you too, and you’ll WISH you were dead.” Darkness flashes in his eyes, and tears spawned by fear start to sting. “You’ll try to…” Like he wanted to, so many times…just…die to stop the pain. “I just want to protect you…”

Hinata squeaks at that look and the tone in his voice. "I'm not going to die." She tries to soothe him. "Well at least not for a very long time, anyway." She knew that he was just worried about her, but there was something terrifying about the way he was looking at her now. He was like a wounded and caged animal. "It's okay. You don't have to worry about me."

She was wrong, so…so…wrong. But he couldn’t get her to believe him without telling her…things that he wanted to spare her from. So, he just rests his head against her chest and sighs. “…I’m tired.” It wasn’t a lie, he was definitely tired. He’d gotten no restful sleep at all.

"You should get some sleep." She sighs as she caresses his cheek. "Would it really make you feel better, if stayed with my father until this is settled?"

“Yes.” There’s no hesitation, just the wavering note of fear. Sasuke didn’t like showing fear, didn’t like it at all. But he knew that being devoid of fear made you reckless, and he was not going to be reckless with Hinata’s life.

Hinata didn't want to do it, but for his peace of mind she would. "Then I’ll compromise." She kisses him. "I'll stay the night and make sure you actually get some sleep and then I’ll stay over at my father’s." She looks up at him. "I want to be held by you and know that you're alright. It's safe. There's a security system, an FBI Agent, and two military officers in this place to protect me."

Sasuke nods. He could accept that much. And maybe…he could get one last night of sleep with her beside him. “Okay, just tonight.” And once Orochimaru was dealt with, maybe he’d get to see Hinata again. Assuming, of course, that nothing went wrong.


	29. Chapter 29

The next day, Hinata was back at her father's place. Unfortunately, she had to tell them something. A grown woman didn't just suddenly decide to have a sleepover with her parents. So she had fudged the truth a bit.

"So Sasuke is worried that this guy is going to come after him." She sighs. "He's got the police monitoring the situation, but he wouldn't rest until I agreed to come here. He's blowing everything out of proportion, but...I decided it would be kinder to humor him."

Hiashi stares at his daughter. She never did have a very good poker face. She was clearly more worked up about this than she was trying to show. “By someone after him, I presume that you mean someone dangerous.” For a military officer with an FBI agent for a brother to be worried about being attacked, especially this far into his rather miraculous recovery, it had to be something serious. “And that he told you to come here because he felt that it would be too dangerous for you to remain near him while this enemy of his is at large.”

"Well...um yes, dangerous." She rubs the back of her head sheepishly. "But Sasuke has military training and so does Kakashi. Not to mention Itachi is a good shot and trained in self-defense like any other FBI Officer..."

“Which is precisely why him being worried worried me.” Honestly, Hiashi didn’t like the Uchiha very much, but he wouldn’t diminish the man’s abilities. So if he was worried, it was likely for good reason. “It is ten years too early for you to try and pull the wool over my eyes, Hinata.”

Emiko sighs as she walks into the room and kisses his cheek. "Probably not a good idea to give her a timeline, My love." She giggles, trying to ease the tension. "If she wants to stay, it's probably for a good reason. I’m sure that Sasuke, Kakashi, and Itachi can handle whatever it is."

“Perhaps…” Hiashi wasn’t so sure that the three of them could handle whatever it is that they were handling alone. But he also doubted that they were doing it alone. Knowing Itachi Uchiha’s reputation as he did, he was absolutely certain that there was more than just the three of them involved. “In any case, if he asked you to stay here, then you should remain here until this dangerous person is caught.”

Hinata nods. "Thank you, father." She hated making them worry like this, but there wasn't any alternative. "I'm sure that it will be over soon." At least that's what she hoped.

“Yes.” Hiashi places a hand on Hinata’s shoulder in a gesture of comfort. He…wasn’t very good at that, but his daughter as worried, and so he would at least try. “He has survived dangerous situations before, this time will be no different.”

"I'm sure he'll be fine." She smiles at him gratefully. "You're right. He's a survivor."

* * *

 

Sasuke’s hands were focused on cooking to stop them from shaking. He had to do something, otherwise he would go insane. And while still holed up at Itachi’s place, there wasn’t much he could do besides wait. Itachi had gotten a call earlier, and Sasuke was under no illusions as to what it was about. Him, of course. And Orochimaru.

Itachi soon joins him in the kitchen. "Would you like some help with that?" He wanted to ease Sasuke into the news.

“Sure.” He was stirring chicken and rice around in the pan, his hand twitching slightly. “The vegetables need to be cut a bit smaller before adding them.” He’d cut them as much as he could, before his hands shook so much that he’d nearly cut himself. He was not going to be so clumsy that he cut himself.

"Of course." Itachi nods in understanding as he dutifully starts cutting the vegetables. "I see that your cooking skills haven't diminished."

“I have to focus on something.” Reaching for the sesame oil, Sasuke adds a little to release the rice from the bottom of the pan. “And I guess cooking is like riding a bike. I did it often enough for the platoon that it’s just…natural.”

Itachi places his hand on Sasuke's shoulder comfortingly. "That makes sense." He smiles at him. "Well that's good. At least you'll never have to settle for fast food."

“I doubt I could ever touch fast food again in my life. Hospital food was bad enough.” And Sasuke liked cooking better than eating rations. So, this is where it led. “…Are you just here to help me cook?”

"I would be lying if I said that was the only reason why I was here." He shakes his head. "But it can wait."

Sasuke shoots him a sideways glance, reaching for the vegetables to put them in the pan. “It can wait, or you don’t want to scare me? If it’s the latter, it’s too late for that.”

"Unfortunately, it's the latter." Itachi hated constantly having to tell Sasuke bad news. "I'm afraid it's become my job to deliver bad news."

“Taking over from Kakashi, then?” Sasuke stirs the vegetables in, lightly frying them in the oil and juices from the chicken. “I thought it was his job to deliver the bad news about me.”

"We seem to have switched." Itachi rolls his eyes. "And not one word about sexual positions, Sasuke."

“Fine, I didn’t assume that you were suddenly on top anyway.” Sasuke smirks slightly, despite it feeling…forced. Was that really what he was reduced to? Forcing himself to smile?

Itachi pokes his forehead. "I'll have you know that variety is the spice of life." He rolls his eyes once more. "Unfortunately, it seems that Orochimaru was spotted in the hospital with Kabuto not that long ago. Those two are likely planning something." He pauses. "Obviously, Orochimaru was in disguise, but I would recognize those eyes anywhere."

Sasuke nods, having expected something like that. And he already knew that Orochimaru was planning something. The man was always planing something. “So he’s close by…that doesn’t surprise me. He’s going to try and take me, and he likes a personal touch. So…” His fists clench, and he removes the pan from the stove, turning off the heat before he accidentally burns the food or hurts himself.

The other Uchiha hugs him closely. "I'm so sorry, Sasuke." He would give anything to stop this from happening. "It's not fair to you. None of this is fair."

“You have nothing to apologize for. It’s not your fault.” Sasuke’s eyes darken, memories of that place resurfacing. He expected to feel scared…instead, he just felt empty. “…I shouldn’t have survived that place. I should have just died like the others.” If he had, then no one here would be in danger. At least that way, he would have been able to protect them.

"Don't say that, Sasuke." He sighs and hugs him closer. "You survived for a reason."

“Spite.” That’s about all Sasuke could think of. “And it put everyone in danger.” He could barely even feel Itachi’s warmth. He just felt…cold.

"Sasuke, that may have been what kept you alive then, but you have so much to live for." He sighs. "You have us and your little Princess."

“And all of you could end up dead when Orochimaru comes for me.” It’s why he’d sent Hinata away. Because he saw only two ways this could end. Either he ended up a lab rat again, or either he or Orochimaru was going to end up dead. “I can’t…I can’t just sit by and let that happen.”

"So don't." Itachi smiles at him. "I'm not exactly helpless myself, Sasuke. Let me do what I’m supposed to do as your big brother and protect you from the bully."

No, it wasn’t Itachi’s job to protect him. “I know that there’s regulations involved, but I need to talk to Kakashi later.” Sasuke swirls the food one last time, serving it onto plates. “I need to be able to carry my gun with me again. As soon as possible.” After all, if one of them was going to end up dead, he at least wanted to be able to put a bullet in the guy who made his life a living hell.

Itachi nods. "I can't blame you." Maybe a gun would be a good idea. It would at least offer Sasuke some protection.

There was one more thing…Sasuke knew that Itachi had a much better pokerface than Hinata, almost unreadable at times. But he still had to know, it was something he’d been wondering about and doubting for the last few months. “…Did my blood-work really come back clean?” After everything they had put into him, it was hard to believe that it all came out within the period of a month, or less…Sasuke’s memory was starting to fill in a few blanks. Blanks full of nothing but even more excruciating pain.

"It seems that Kabuto was fiddling with the results." Itachi gulps. "I don't wish to alarm you. It's actually kinda a good thing, really.."

Sasuke highly doubted that anything they did to him could possibly be a good thing, but he was willing to humor Itachi. “And what exactly would count as a good thing when they were sticking needles in me, doing who knows what to my body?”

"It seems they have given you an accelerated healing rate when it comes to physical injuries." He nods. "So...that explains your fast physical recovery."

“…That explains why I haven’t got very many scars.” It explained why so many of them had disappeared, anyway. Still, Sasuke felt violated, even just by that. “…And? What else did they do to me?” He highly doubted that they would have stopped at accelerated healing. If that’s all they wanted, he doubted that so many of the prisoners would have died. “What’s the catch? Why was I the only one who survived some extra fast healing?”

"They wanted to create super soldiers." Itachi sighs and crosses his arms. "Faster, stronger, and so forth. The human body in general can only hit a certain limit before it breaks."

“So they want to try and make perfect soldiers…” That made quite a few things click into place. Not that it made Sasuke feel any better. “And I was their success. No wonder he called me his favorite.” Minus all of the…looks he’d gotten from the old man. He really didn’t want to think about that. “And now he wants me back.” After all, who would give up their prized test subject, their first real success? At least, he hoped that he was their first success. If he was, it meant that less people suffered what he had. He almost envied the ones who didn’t make it.

"I'm sorry, Sasuke." Itachi didn't know what else to say. All he could do was hug him. "But it's over now. You never have to experience those things again."

“Then we either find Orochimaru before he finds me, or we let him find me.” And if it was the latter, well, Sasuke had a few ideas on just how to deal with the situation. Murdering Itachi for doing something stupid wasn’t worth a court-martial. Dealing with Orochimaru, on the other hand…well, he doubted he’d get busted for ‘self-defense’.

Itachi nods. "Exactly. We'll figure this out." He sighs. "I promise. Just have a little faith."

Faith was something that Sasuke was running a bit low on. So was trust, for anyone he didn’t know well. But he figured that was just to be expected. “There’s a few months before I’m cleared to go back on active duty.” Well, assuming that he recovers by then. “He’ll probably try to target me before then, before it becomes to hard to touch me.” After all, he would be working every day on a military base, and carrying a weapon with him at all times. After going back, he would just be too difficult a target. That meant that the window was now.

"Yes, we do expect that he'll try to make a move soon." The elder Uchiha pauses. "It's only logical."

Which meant that the time for going easy on things was over. Sasuke pulls out of his brother’s arms and sits himself down at the table to eat. After a few mouthfuls, he pauses. “I want to go to Fort Hamilton this afternoon.”

"Very well." He takes out his cell and calls Kakashi. "I'm taking Sasuke to the fort in a few hours. Do you have his weapon authorization done?"

On the phone, Kakashi’s voice comes through. “It’s almost done. As long as he spends the next week or so in the shooting range, proving that he can still handle it and that he’s not a danger with it, there shouldn’t be any problems getting it approved.”

Sasuke blinks. They were already working on that? He hadn’t put in the request to Kakashi and forgot about it, had he? “He’s doing the authorization?”

"Well he's in the process of it." Itachi glances back at Sasuke. "You'll still need to go through a few hoops, of course. Giving a gun to someone who has been through what you have isn't always a good idea." For obvious reasons. "But we'll get you a weapon. You have my word on that."

He then turns his attention back to Kakashi. "Good. The sooner the better." Itachi sighs . He didn't like waiting. Not with all this going on. "Is there any way to put a rush on it?"

“This IS putting a rush on it. Normally, this would have to wait until the end of his therapy. But I’ve gotten Konan to assure the higher ups that Sasuke isn’t a danger to others, but that there IS danger to him. Which is why this is going three and a half months faster than usual.” Though Kakashi had conveniently failed to mention that Sasuke had been pumped full of injections designed to make a super soldier. But he decided to classify that under Need to Know only.

Itachi mentally groans at that information. "Well, we'll have to make do." He sighs. "Thank you, Kakashi. We do appreciate this."

“You’re welcome. And in the meantime, I would suggest that Sasuke start sparring again. He is recovering faster than initially expected, so he should be fit to spar by now.” Though Kakashi still worried about what could potentially trigger him. But so far, it seemed as though physical confrontation wouldn’t set him off. It was just emotional problems that were the concern.

"Only with a professional." Itachi was not going to have some random person play fight with his brother. "Maybe you or Jugo. Suigetsu is too much of a competitive idiot for this."

Kakashi goes silent for a moment. “I have an old friend, retired from the police force to raise a family. But he still works part time for the academy to train the students in sparring. The academy is out for the summer, so I see no reason why he couldn’t lend Sasuke a hand.”

Itachi smiles. "That sounds perfect." Finally, they were catching a break. "Thank you."

“You’re welcome. I’ll call Asuma right now and see if he’s available.” Kakashi drops his voice into a whisper. “And maybe tonight, we can traumatize Sasuke again.”

Itachi chuckles. "I think it's a bit early for that." Sasuke was going through a lot. It seemed almost cruel.

“Well, I imagine that it’s preferable to whatever is going on in his head right now.” And that worried Kakashi. Especially the way Sasuke’s moods seemed a bit erratic. “Just…try to keep him occupied. And if you’re so worried about Suigetsu sparring with him, then why don’t you give it a shot. Unless, of course, the FBI doesn’t put much effort into training their agents.”

"Are you crazy?" Itachi looks down at the phone in disbelief. "Sasuke has always naturally been competitive with me. That wouldn't end well."

Sasuke raises an eyebrow at Itachi, almost done with his food. “What am I too competitive about?” He’d only heard Itachi’s parts of the conversation, and they were strange, to put it mildly.

"You, my foolish little brother, have always been too competitive about everything." There was no universe where him sparring with Sasuke would end well. "And you know it." If he let Sasuke win, he'd never hear the end of it. If he beat Sasuke, his pride would be crushed. Honestly, he must have fucked Kakashi's brains out or something for the man to suggest such a thing!

Sasuke’s eyes narrow. “You didn’t answer the question.”

He sighs. Well Sasuke had always been stubborn. "He suggested that I should do a little physical training with you." Itachi decides to elaborate. "A spar."

“So?” Sasuke raises his eyebrow higher. “You’re as good an opponent as any.” Plus, Itachi had martial arts training under his belt. So he would make an ideal opponent.

"Flattering, but we both know that wouldn't end well." Itachi chuckles.

“Because I could have an episode?” Sasuke shakes his head. “I’ll be fine, Itachi. I can control myself in a spar. And I doubt there’ll be anything there to trigger me.”

"Actually, it was more your natural competitive spirit that worried me." Itachi shakes his head and smiles at him. "You've made tremendous progress in controlling yourself otherwise."

Sasuke blinks. “This is because you think I would get too competitive, and we would end up beating each other to a pulp?” Was his brother serious? “I do know how to put people on the ground without causing too much damage, and I know when I’ve been outmatched or need to change my strategy.” It’s why he never sparred with Jugo. The man was a tank when he wanted to be, and outsmarting him got tedious and often repetitive. “I do have some self-discipline, you know.”

"Something like that." He wasn't going to elaborate further. "In any case, we'll get you a gun soon." That should settle Sasuke.

“Good.” That was reassuring. Sasuke would feel a lot better with his Beretta close at hand. “Doesn’t change the fact that you’re scared to fight me.”

He rolls his eyes. "I'm not scared to fight you." Honestly. Sasuke could be such a child sometimes.

Sasuke eyes Itachi skeptically. “Right. Whatever, I guess I’ll just have to spar with Suigetsu. It’s been a while since I last gave him a beating.” In the water, Suigetsu was the king. Sasuke would admit that much. But on land, in hand to hand combat, Sasuke never lost to the merman.

"Fine. I'll spar with you." Better him than Suigetsu. "He'd get carried away and we both know it."

“It’s not usually that bad.” Sasuke shrugs. “Besides, sparring is when I actually make an effort to hold back. It’s more of a challenge to subdue your opponent if you’re trying not to hurt them too badly.” And if nothing else, Sasuke loved challenges.

Itachi doubted that even Sasuke believed that. "Alright then." Nevertheless, he'd humor his foolish little brother. Because that's what big brothers did. Humor their foolish little brothers.

* * *

 

Sasuke was back in his happy place, Fort Hamilton. And this time, he was finally back in a sparring ring. He hadn’t been in one of these in…years. Not since before the last tour. But it was a great to be able to wear his black sparring clothes again. And thankfully, the stretchy fabric still fit perfectly.

He holds up a couple pairs of gloves as Itachi walks over. “With or without sparring gloves?” After all, this was just sparring, so it’s not like anyone had to get any broken bones. Bruises were fine, though.

"That's up to you." Itachi doubted the gloves would make a difference. "This was your idea." Well actually, it was Kakashi's, but Sasuke had more than willingly gone along with it.

“Well, normally, I wouldn’t, but in the interest of preventing injuries…” Sasuke slips on a pair of black, foamy gloves, wiggling his fingers through the elastic fabric straps, and fastening the cuffs tight. Then, he tosses the other pair to Itachi. “Since you’re worried about me being competitive.”

He takes the gloves. "You know it wasn't injuries that worried me." Itachi sighs. "I just don't want your pride to be too injured when you lose is all."

“And you call me competitive?” Sasuke chuckles, shaking his head. “Whatever…” He rolls his shoulders, loosening them up a bit. “No head-shots, no nut-shots, and no joint-breaking shots.”

"I wouldn't go for a nut shot." Itachi chuckles. "I'm not that cruel and your Hyuga Princess would then hit me there in retaliation."

“Yeah, she does want kids after all.” Sasuke bounces his gloves together, eyes widening for a second. “Anyway, it’s just so that we can avoid sending each other to the hospital.” He leans against the stretchy ropes surrounding the ring, stretching out his muscles one last time before getting started. After all, he didn’t want to pull anything.

Itachi laughs and stretches. "Hmm well hopefully, they'll be less foolish than you." A few more stretches. "Let's see what you can do then."

Sasuke rolls his eyes and approaches Itachi, the two of them watching each other for the first move, the first twitch. Sasuke knew this game well, and it always ended the same way, with him being the first one to make a move. So, why change that? He throws the first punch, aiming straight for Itachi’s solar plexus.

Itachi was fast as always, he manages to dodge it and tries to grab Sasuke's hand. He was hoping to throw the other man over his shoulder and get him into a vulnerable position on the floor.

Twisting his arm in and sliding his leg behind Itachi’s, Sasuke hooks their knees together, grounding himself against being thrown. It had been a very long time since he last fought Itachi, but he remembered that avoiding being thrown onto his back was critical. Because as soon as Itachi did that, it was game over. This way, if Itachi tried to roll him over, he could just straighten his leg and unbalance Itachi as well. “I do learn from my mistakes, you know.”

He chuckles. "Yes, it seems that you do." Itachi tries to squirm away from Sasuke's hold. "Damn it." It seems that his foolish little brother really had learned a few new tricks.

Straightening his knee to break Itachi’s stance, Sasuke presses his body weight into Itachi, twisting his brother across his body and down towards the floor. It was a basic karate move, and one that he enjoyed employing against Suigetsu. It allowed for him to use his flexibility, balance, and strength together.

Itachi went down, but he quickly bounces up. Then he does what he did best, he lunged at Sasuke like a freaking cheetah or something. That Agent could scoot!

Sasuke steps back quickly, blocking the first punch to his shoulder, and then a vicious kick. The punch wouldn’t do much, even if it had a lot of power behind it. That kick, though, that was going to bruise. So, he returns the favor, launching three punches in rapid succession, before ducking down to sweep Itachi’s legs out from under him.

Itachi goes down, but he raises his foot and gives Sasuke a good kick in his calf. "Take that!" He was half tempted to just throw the fight, but Sasuke would know. And then Sasuke would get very passive aggressive, or maybe just aggressive.

Sasuke flinches for barely half a second before moving back in. He’s felt worse than that, there was no way he’d let a measly hit like that knock him out of a fight. So he drives a punch into Itachi’s side, before whirling around to kick him in the back.

Itachi manages to spin around and catch the kick. He managed throw Sasuke a couple feet back. "Attacking from behind isn't going to help you." He smiles. "Though it was a nice try."

“Treat me like the same teenager you used to spar with, and you’re going to get hurt.” Sasuke considers that fair warning as he leaps forward in a flash, slamming a decent punch into Itachi’s chest.

"AHHH!" That one actually hurt. "You're going to regret that one." And with that, Itachi lunges at him.

Sasuke catches one of Itachi’s wrists, knocking the other up with a well-placed block. “I wasn’t just sitting on my ass during training, you know.” And he certainly hadn’t during his rehabilitation. He’d been paying visits to the sandbags as well.

"I imagine that Hinata is rather grateful about that, but it's not going to win you this fight." Itachi comes at him with a flurry of punches and kicks.

It takes Sasuke the first two punches, and one kick to get used to Itachi’s rhythm again, but once he does, he blocks each subsequent attack, and then starts returning several of his own, his movements getting faster and more fluid with each strike. “Chickens, Itachi, they haven’t hatched yet.”

"Good thing that I make the finest sunny side eggs then!'" He hurls another kick at his brother.

Sasuke allows the kick to connect, catches it, and twists himself into his brother’s personal space, yanking on his leg to throw him off balance and push him to the floor. He presses his knee to Itachi’s hip, keep Itachi’s other leg, locked in place away from the rest of his body, and aims a punch at Itachi’s face, stopping just an inch from his nose, panting lightly as sweat drips down his temples. “What were you saying about eggs? I thought I did the cooking today.”

"My eggs are superior to yours." Itachi smirks. "Yours are acceptable though. I'm sure that Hinata won't complain."

Sasuke rolls his eyes. “Smartass. I told you not to count your chickens.” He could barely believe it. Here was Itachi, underneath him, on the floor. “…I win.” Did Itachi go easy on him?

"Well better a smart ass than a dumbass." Itachi smiles up at him. "Yes, you won." He shrugs. "Kakashi must have worn me out more than I thought."

Sasuke considers it for a minute, but shakes his head. “You two didn’t have sex last night. I would have heard it.”

"Perhaps we were just being quieter than usual." Itachi shrugs.

Sasuke called bullshit on that. Itachi…did not look like a man who got laid last night. “Then why did you still say I was going to lose?” Sasuke releases Itachi, leaning back and rising to his feet. “You seemed so sure, earlier.” He holds his hand out for Itachi to take.

He takes his hand. "As if I was going to say anything else." He chuckles. "Foolish little brother, that was just trashtalk." And he pokes his forehead, before gesturing for Sasuke to follow him. It seemed some things never changed.

Sasuke twitches, rubbing his forehead as he tosses the gloves into his bag and follows Itachi off. Was Itachi ever going to stop poking his forehead and calling him his foolish little brother? Probably not, but it was still annoying.


	30. Chapter 30

Sasuke would have to say that it was a relief to follow Itachi off that day after sparring. Because it felt so much better to have his Beretta in hand, even if all he was using it for right now was for putting holes in targets, like he had been for the last couple of weeks.

At least he could carry it around now. Not that it stopped Itachi from hovering anyway. He was tempted to just hop on his motorcycle and drive off somewhere to get some breathing room. Though he knew that he couldn’t, not with that snake still slithering around out there. The one good thing that came along with getting his pistol back was digging his old Hayabusa out of his parents’ garage. And being the best sport bike ever made, in his opinion, it still ran like it was brand new.

Screw cars, it was the fastest bike in the world, it would outrun cars easily. Hence why he now used it as his primary mode of transportation to and from Fort Hamilton. No more walking or catching rides with his paranoid big brother.

Still, he holds up the gun again, letting it rest comfortably in his hands as he fires off another round at the target. Each and every bullet zooms through the same single hole of the moving targets, proving that his work since getting the gun back has brought his shooting right back up. Like cooking and riding his motorcycle, it was fairly easy to get back into the rhythm of using a gun.

Itachi watches with amusement. "I suppose I should warn Hinata that you don't shoot blanks." He had to keep Sasuke from panicking somehow. Dirty jokes were as good a way as any. "Of course, I’m sure that the two of you are taking the proper cautions. I'm not quite ready to become an uncle just yet."

Sasuke doesn’t take his eyes off the targets as he loads another round. “She’s on the pill, Itachi. I don’t think you have anything to worry about just yet.” He switches hands, putting the gun in his left instead of his right. “Besides, I’m not ready for that yet, and she knows that.”

"You, my foolish little brother, really need to learn how to take a joke." Itachi watches him fire off more shots. "Though that's good to know." Frankly, it was a relief to realize that Sasuke apparently didn't have any trouble seeking out well...companionship. Most people in his place would still be holed up in the hospital somewhere with a straight jacket, but Sasuke was functioning almost normally.

He would be functioning normally, if it wasn't for Orochimaru. When he got his hands on that snake, first thing he was going to do was shoot his dick off. Actually, he should probably get some practicing in. God knows that was likely going to be a borderline microscopic target...

“I can feel you seething over there.” Sasuke fires off another round, this time poking a star pattern into the closest swinging target. Each outer hole was a perfect ten centimeters from the one in the center.

Itachi shrugs. "I think that it's best if I do it." It was safer that way. "I can do more than enough seething for both of us."

“Whatever.” With the clip empty, Sasuke locks the safety and re-holsters the gun. “Playing hooky again from work, Itachi?” He’d been hanging around the base a lot lately, and it was a little weird.

"I've informed my boss that I'm working in collaboration with the CIA on a top secret case." He runs his fingers through his hair as if to calm himself. "So to them, I am working."

“And working involves babysitting me?” Sasuke knew what it was, Itachi could call it whatever he liked. “Shouldn’t you be holed up at Konan’s house, obsessing over the guy who’s going to try and abduct me, and end up dead because he bit off more than he can chew?”

"Observing how you are adjusting after everything is helping me to create a more thorough profile on Orochimaru." Itachi shakes his head. "Do not question my artistic methods, Sasuke. They work." He smiles smugly.

“So watching me is going to tell you how much of a sadistic asshole he is?” Sasuke was kind of tempted to smack Itachi over the head with the butt of his pistol. “If you want to know something, just ask. I’m not going to have another fainting episode.”

"Unconscious behavior sometimes reveals a great deal." Itachi sighs. "I remember a time when you used to beg me to for my attention. Just suck it up and go back to practicing."

“That was a long time ago.” Sasuke doubted that the kid who always used to ask for piggyback rides still existed. He clicks the safety again, loading another clip and raising it to eye level. Maybe this time he’d make a pentagram.

Itachi shakes his head. "Sadly." He missed those days. Things were simpler back then.

* * *

 

Orochimaru was getting more and more anxious. "He's going to be back on active duty soon and once that happens, our window of opportunity will close drastically." The time to strike was now, but unfortunately, Sasuke was never alone.

Kabuto frowns. “There’s still two months before his mandatory psychotherapy sessions end. Even if they cut that in half, there is still time.” Less than he would have liked, though. “And the closer he is to returning to active duty, the more likely it is that he’ll be left to his own devices. He’s very independent and willful, even now.”

"There's some time." Not much of it though. "We'll still need to act soon though." Very soon or else, they could lose him forever.

“Of course.” Kabuto rifles through his notes. “From what I can tell, he still goes to the base for most of the day, and his brother both picks him up and drops him off from his sessions with the psychologist. Apart from that, he seems to be weaning himself off of depending on his brother, and he takes his motorcycle to and from the base daily.”

"Well that would seem the best time to make a move then." When he was on his motorcycle. That's when he would be alone.

Another grimace crosses Kabuto’s face. “That might be easier said than done. It’s considered the fastest in the world, a top speed of almost two hundred miles an hour, and with high maneuverability. It would be better to wait for him to stop. He’s likely going stir-crazy going nowhere but home and Fort Hamilton.”

"Well it's capable of going two hundred miles an hours." Orochimaru highly doubted that Sasuke was that crazy. "He wouldn't actually floor it. He'd get arrested for that." The bike shouldn't be an issue. There was only so fast he could go without posing a danger to others.

Kabuto wasn’t so sure about that. Besides, they had to account for every possibility. “True, but if it were a choice between being arrested on a speeding charge, or being retrieved, he might decide to chance it. Or he could panic altogether.” And fear made people do very dangerous things.

He raises an eyebrow. "Then we'll buy the same model of motorcycle." Orochimaru was beginning to suspect that Kabuto was just being difficult because he was hung up on the Hyuga woman. "I don't care about cost. We'll make it back, a hundred or a thousand times over, when this is finished." Nothing was going to stop him. Certainly, not some motorcycle.

"I'll make a call." He sighs. Odds were that Kabuto would be useless at driving such a motorcycle and even if Orochimaru managed it, Sasuke could likely outdrive him. "I'm sure that Sai will be more than up to the task and Danzo owes me some favors anyway."

Now that…could work. Kabuto nods. “An excellent choice.” Sai was young, around Sasuke’s age, and trained well from a young age. A perfect soldier, if not the kind of perfection that Orochimaru sought with Sasuke. “And he likely wouldn’t expect someone his own age to be following him. Not unless they were military or police. And we know for a fact that he’s more comfortable around those professions.”

Orochimaru smirks. "Of course, it's a perfect choice. "As if, he would come up with anything other than a perfect plan. "I shall get in touch with Danzo at once." Soon, they would have Sasuke back and their plans could really begin.

“Shall I compile a file on Sasuke for Sai to read?” After all, Kabuto figured that taking him while going at high speeds on a motorcycle would be tricky, at best, but if Sai could get Sasuke to stop, maybe lure him off and away from people, that it might be an easier abduction. “And, of course, involving Dr. Hyuga is always an option.” Abducting her would lead Sasuke straight to them, if his teacher was right about their relationship. It would kill two birds with one stone.

"A file would be very helpful." He pauses when he hears the next suggestion. "That would certainly get his attention." Orochimaru sighs. "Though I'm almost positive that she is fully aware of everything that is happening. If the opportunity arises, grab her. If not, well it's not a high priority." Orochimaru was certain Danzo's favorite could handle it.

“Of course.” Kabuto could see this part of the plan going many different ways. Some of them good, some bad, and some just falling flat. He was the kind of man who liked to have a plan, a back-up plan, and a dozen back-ups to the back-up plan. “Will there be anything else, Sir?”

He glances at Kabuto. "If you have something that you'd like to add, do so." His eyes narrow. "You've always been my most loyal assistant." Though Orochimaru sensed that might be changing. "I do hope that is still the case." The scientist knew that something strange was going on in Kabuto's mind, but not what exactly.

“Just that stacking the deck in our favor might be the wisest move. Lower his defenses, catch him off guard, something to unbalance him enough that his training won’t be enough to tip the scales in his favor. And preferably discreet, not out in front of a crowd. After all…” Kabuto smirks. “In the end, this is about making him disappear again, isn’t it? So if Sai could manage to get him to stop, to lower his guard, get him away from prying eyes…”

"That's reasonable." Orochimaru raises an eyebrow. "And how do you propose we do that?" He was almost certain he knew what Kabuto was going to suggest. "Preferably, in a way that is feasible. "Kidnap the Hyuga Princess.

“Have Sai pose as a member of the NYPD?” Kabuto thought it was reasonable. “His best friend is the police commissioner’s son, so he’s familiar with the organization. Enough, perhaps, to let his guard down if an officer were to approach him.” Kidnapping the Hyuga would be another easy way. “Taking Dr. Hyuga could be the back-up plan.” After all, there was no bait like taking someone’s significant other.

Orochimaru considers this. "I'll have Sai do that. It's a reasonable suggestion." He shakes his head the second option. "Only as a last resort. I know that one could potentially backfire." God help anyone who would have attempted such a thing on him. If someone had tried to kidnap her, he would probably burn the city to the ground.

“Then I will make up the file, complete with information regarding Naruto Uzumaki, the NYPD, and other suggestions regarding the captain’s psychology that might prove useful.” Kabuto had a good feeling about this plan, it’s why he’d let it simmer in the back of his mind throughout the whole conversation.

He nods. That could prove useful. "Yes, information about Naruto could only be a benefit." After all, he had been friends with Sasuke as far as Orochimaru could tell. "If Sai were to become close to Naruto, that would also lower Sasuke's guard."

“Naruto likely wouldn’t think to ask his father to check the register of the forty thousand police officers in the city. Sai could pretend to be from another precinct.” Kabuto could see that working. “Or maybe a transfer. Those kinds of files can be forged easily enough.” The closer he got to Sasuke the better. “Then there would be no need for a motorcycle chase drawing attention through the city.” Now THAT, Kabuto thought was a bad idea.

"It would be preferable not to have the chase." He couldn't argue with that. "Very well. I'll inform Danzo of the plan and get the transfer files forged."

This would also extend their time frame. Because even when Sasuke went back on active duty, the access wouldn’t diminish in any significant way by using a third party. That greatly pleased Kabuto. “You’ll have the complete, annotated file by morning.” After all, once he added his personal notes and thoughts, the file would be that much more complete.

Orochimaru smirks. "Excellent." He felt far better now that they had an actual plan and a couple backups. "I have full confidence that we'll get him back now."

* * *

 

Meanwhile Hinata sighs as she has lunch with Naruto in the hospital cafeteria. Doing so apparently made Sasuke feel better. "Has he told you anything?" She suspected that Sasuke might be glossing over more than a few details to protect her in his own unique way.

Naruto shakes his head. “Not much. Just that the guy who took him is back, and that if I go to visit, to go armed, just in case.” It freaked Naruto out, but hey, if it meant having an opportunity to put a bullet in the guy who tortured his best friend, well…who was he to turn down that invitation?

She sighs. Hinata had been hoping that maybe, Sasuke had opened up to Naruto about it. "I don't like this." It sounded lame even to her own ears, but it was the truth. Not that anyone would like having a crazy mad scientist after their boyfriend, but still.

“Well, it’s Sasuke, so of course he’s gonna keep quiet about it all.” Naruto hated that about his best friend. “He’s just tryin’ to protect us all.” Something that Sasuke would no doubt consider a sacred duty, even if it meant going at this alone.

"I know why he's doing it." The Hyuga woman bites her lower lip. "I just wish he wouldn't. I"m going crazy not knowing anything." Now, she knew what his family had felt when Sasuke was gone. Of course, she had been saddened by his "death," but that wasn't like this. She hadn't known that he was still alive.

“Yeah, I’m gonna throttle him when this is all over.” Seriously, Naruto could understand not telling Hinata stuff, but he was Sasuke’s best friend, and a cop on top of that. If there was a bad guy involved, well, that was his job!

She nods. "He's not getting a repeat of two hundred and twenty for a very long time, until he learns his lesson." The lesson being don't make her sit in the dark while some crazy person came after him! "I love him. I've just never wanted to kiss someone and strangle them at the same time before."

“Two hundred and twenty?” Naruto shakes his head. Whatever, he didn’t need to know whatever weird codes his best friend and ex were using in their fun time. “But yeah, Sakura usually says something like that when she gets mad at me for getting hurt on the job.”

"Um never mind about the two hundred and twenty thing." Hinata blushes. Well at least she had said the page number instead of what it actually meant. "I see. Well now I know how she feels."

“Yeah, sorry about that. We just don’t really have the safest jobs in the world.” Not in the slightest. But Naruto was happy where he was, out there saving the world, or at least the city, one bad guy at a time.

Hinata shakes her head. "Well Sasuke's should be okay once he's promoted and...that creep isn't after him." At least that's what she hoped.

“Well, that’s true. I just hope that he doesn’t get bored sitting behind a desk.” Naruto knew that Sasuke hated sitting idle as much as he did. And that might not translate well to a desk job. Bad things happened when geniuses like Sasuke got bored.

"I'd rather have him be bored than getting shot at." The bluenette sips on her drink. "Besides, boredom can be fixed. This, whatever this is, isn't as easily fixed."

“You’re right about that…” Seriously, Naruto just wanted to put some cuffs on the guy and cart him off to some supermax prison that he’d never escape from. Oh…speaking of handcuffs… “So, Hinata…” Sakura had proved to be very fond of the handcuffs, and used them liberally. “You still have my old set of handcuffs, right? I mean, if you don’t want Sasuke to get bored…”

Hinata blushes. "I still have them, but I don't know if that would be a good idea." Sasuke might freak out and have a flashback. "If I used them on him, he might...it might scare him." Though she supposed that he could use them on her. "And you don't think that it'd be a little weird? For us to talk about that stuff?" He used to be her lover and he was Sasuke's best friend. Hinata wasn't really sure how, but that hadn't impacted the friendship of the two men yet. Though she wasn't really sure how Sasuke would feel about Naruto offering "helpful" advice.

Hm…the flashbacks could prove to be a problem, but Naruto kind of doubted that Sasuke would focus on them much if he had a sexy girlfriend climbing all over him. “Nah, me and Sasuke have had a weird friendship ever since we were little. This definitely doesn’t register in the list of the top ten weirdest things we’ve done.”

"If this doesn't register, I'm afraid to ask what does." Hinata blinks at that thought. "That's probably better under the classified information category." She giggles at the rather liberal use of the designation.

“Definitely should fall under classified information.” Naruto smirks. Like that time in the sixth grade when they had their ‘accident’. “But I’m sure that you remember THAT incident from when we were twelve, right?”

Hinata laughs. "Yes, I'm not sure whether to find it funny now or to be jealous." She blushes. "Well actually, I was a bit jealous back then. Mostly in shock though."

“You think you were in shock…” Naruto shakes his head. “Anyway, that one ranks in at number eight on the top ten list.” Just number eight. For some reason, the two of them found a lot of trouble together, usually by accident.

"Yes, well no more repeats of number eight." Hinata shakes her head. She didn't have anything against such relationship, but Sasuke was hers now and she was pretty sure Sakura would kill them both. "For your own safety."

“Eh…well…” Naruto rubs the back of his head sheepishly. “Number nine was the repeat.” Though Naruto couldn’t believe how unlucky the two of them were. Really? A swimming pool accident? Well, no one really saw it, and it was a repeat, but still, it ranked up there on the list of weird.

The bluenette blinks. "You kissed him twice?!" She flails. Unbelievable! How was it that her ex had kissed her current lover twice?! "When was that?!"

“His birthday party, swimming pool, seventh grade. Diving board mishap.” And what a mishap it was. At least Itachi hadn’t found out about THAT one. He hoped…

"Oh." Well seventh grade. "Then that's okay. I mean it was a long time ago." Hinata slowly relaxes. Not that she thought Naruto was seriously trying to seduce Sasuke, but it was still good to know these accidents had all happened over a decade ago.

“Yeah, and we’ve been very careful ever since about avoiding those kinds of incidents. So far, there’s been no third accident.” Though Naruto was still just waiting for it. Somehow, some way, he was almost certain that there was going to be a dreaded third incident. It just seemed like something or someone liked screwing with the two of them.

Hinata grumbles. "I'd prefer to keep it that way." It was one thing to have to worry about other women hitting on Sasuke, but accidental kisses from Naruto. Well that's where she drew the line! "And I'm sure that Sakura agrees."

“Sheesh, okay, I get it!” Naruto recoils from the clearly irritated woman. “It’s not like we plan that stuff, you know. And we’re actively trying to AVOID the situation again, so don’t kill me.”

"Good!" Hinata smiles. "I'm sorry, Naruto." She felt a little embarrassed about half freaking out on him. "I guess he just brings out my jealous side."

“Yeah, no kidding, you’re almost as bad as Sakura is…” Naruto had never seen this side of Hinata before. She wasn’t like this when they were together. That makes him smile. Maybe it was just a sign that she and Sasuke really were meant to be. “Guess those love letters worked after all.”

That was really embarrassing. "I'm not that bad. Am I?" Sakura was a lot more physical with her irritation than Hinata. "I mean I didn't smack you upside the head." She blushes at the second part. "I guess they did. Just not exactly in the way I intended."

“Whatever, they still worked.” Naruto grins widely. “And I’d appreciate it if you didn’t smack me. Sakura already kills enough of my brain cells already.”

"Sasuke is going to regret missing that opening." Hinata laughs. "I'm sure that he could think of a lot of comebacks to the brain cell depletion comment." Though she couldn't bring herself to smack Naruto. "And I probably won't smack you." Well probably not. She'd likely smack him if a third accident happened. "Though I’m glad the love letters worked, even if it was in an unintended way." Hinata smiles at that thought.

Naruto rolls his eyes. “Yeah, well someone needed to thaw him out eventually. Freezing over volcanoes only works in Iceland, apparently.”

Hinata giggles at that image and the fact Naruto didn't know. "Trust me, he's not cold." Well at least not to her. "He's just...well like a cat in some ways."

“Definitely hisses and scratches like one.” Naruto had been in more than enough fights with his best friend to know that much. Sometimes, they had very much a love-hate relationship.

"Well as I've said since I started dating him, he's like a lion." Hinata smiles. "He's very protective of his pride, but otherwise not the most social. Strong, fast, and brave." She giggles. "And he's very receptive to petting, if done in the right way."

“Right…” That last part was…too much information. Naruto did pride himself on not being nearly as obtuse as he used to be. Though that was only to be expected with a girlfriend as forward as Sakura. “Like a lion, got it. Not that he’s got the mane for it, but whatever.”

"Well actually, he does have a great uncle who really does have the mane for it." Hinata laughs at the memory of the family photo album. "And I’m not exaggerating, but no. Not really. Army regulations only let him grow out his hair so long. He does have the tail for it though."

“Right…Madara.” That old man creeped Naruto out, especially since he looked absolutely amazing for a guy in his…what, eighties? Nineties? The guy was NOT young, that’s for sure. Even if he could pass as half his age. “I still think the bastard looks stupid, though.” And he did NOT need to know that about Sasuke…’tail’.

"I don't know, I think it looks quite stately on him." Hinata shakes her head as she ponders the matter. "I don't know, if anyone else could have that hairstyle though or how could possibly care for it. He must spend hours washing it."

“Because he’s crazy.” That’s the only way anyone could spend so much time on that much hair. “And his bastardlyness got passed down to Sasuke, just without the crazy hair. And he looks just as weird without the duckbutt hair as the old man does with the…porcupine mane.”

Hinata shakes her head. "I still don't think it looked like a duck butt." She giggles. "Maybe, they'll let him grow it out after the promotion."

“It did look like a duck’s ass. Or a chicken’s ass. Take your pick.” Naruto wouldn’t budge on that much. “But whatever, maybe. I doubt it, but if Kakashi can get away with it, maybe he’ll decide to give it a shot too.”

"You spend a lot of time looking at the backsides of bird's it seems." The Hyuga woman laughs.

“We’ve got a ranch out west, lots of ducks, chickens, and turkeys around.” Naruto shrugs. “Used to chase them when I was little. Sasuke would come sometimes too. I always compared him to the chickens and ducks.”

"I'm almost afraid to ask what he compared you to." Hinata shakes her head. "Anyway, I hope this is settled once and for all soon." She wasn't sure how much longer she could go on with the limbo. She'd probably snap and visit Sasuke long before Orochimaru showed up.

“Yeah, me too…” Naruto would have much preferred thinking about the ranch, and number five on the list of weird incidents. But that would have to wait. “I’ll talk to Dad and see what I can dig up on this guy. The sooner we catch him, the sooner everything goes back to normal.”

Hinata nods. "Yes, the sooner, the better." She wanted to see Orochimaru drawn and quartered at at minimum for what he'd done to Sasuke.

“Alright.” Naruto gets up, his meal finished. “Well, I’ll go and see what Dad knows. You just hang tight, help some people out today, and I’ll text you later with whatever I find out. Okay?”

"Alright." She smiles at Naruto. "Thank you." What more was there to say? There wasn't much they could do without more information and Naruto was trying his best.

“No problem, Hinata. Just leave it to me!” Well, and the CIA, FBI, and the military, but Naruto digressed. Everyone was after this guy. But he wanted to be the one to slam the cuffs on him. It was only fair, really. He’s the one who refused to believe that Sasuke was dead.

Hinata nods. "Okay. Well, if you see him, tell him that I love him." The Hyuga woman pauses for a moment and decides to clarify. "But he's still in big trouble for playing Hide and Seek after all this is done."

“Got it!” He waves goodbye as he races out of the cafeteria, eager to get a head start on tracking down the nutjob who was trying to hurt his best friend.


	31. Chapter 31

Naruto was busy with a stack of homicide cases when a new file passed his desk last night. It had been a while since they last had a transfer, so he made sure to set his alarm clock for early in the morning, pissing off Sakura in the process after she came back late from a night shift in trauma.

Which is how he ended up here, arriving at the precinct before any of the other officers, waiting for the new guy in homicide to show up. His name was…Sai, right? Sounded Japanese, so maybe he’d recognize the guy on sight.

Sai smiles as he walks into the police department. He was early, but that was on purpose. Perhaps, he'd be able to snoop around in some files before he started. "Oh. Hello." He just hadn't expected to run into another officer this early in the morning, especially not the one he was looking for.

“Hey!” Naruto grins widely at the new guy. Japanese, never seen him before, this had to be the transfer. “Sai, right? I’m Naruto Uzumaki, Homicide.” He holds his hand out to the new guy in welcome.

"Yes." He bows his head and smiles. "I'm Sai. It's a pleasure to meet you." He shakes his hand a bit awkwardly as he tries to smile cheerfully. He was still working on that last part. "I'm also working homicide."

“Yeah, I know, I saw the transfer papers last night, so I thought I’d get here early to meet you before the chaos starts.” Well, his smile was a bit weird, but that was alright, maybe the guy was just nervous. Naruto could smile enough for the both of them. “So, now that you’re here, do you have any questions about the precinct? Maybe who you’ll be working with?”

Sai smiles. "Well I suppose just the general things. Who is like what and what's expected of me, of course?" Wonderful. The blond was highly social. He'd be putty in his hands. "If that's not too much trouble, of course."

“Course not.” Naruto practically glows with energy. “Well, you’ve gotten placed with our special team, we’ve got a handful of people from different departments. Like Kiba, from the K-9 unit. If we need to find a body, Akamaru can usually handle it. He’s Kiba’s dog, they’ve been together forever.” Actually, Naruto was surprised the dog was still kicking, but Akamaru showed no signs of slowing down, so no problems there. “Kiba’s awesome, he and I have been friends forever. We used to get into a lot of trouble when we were kids. Sasuke was always on our case about it. And Shino also ended up on our team, though I’m still trying to figure out how that happened. He specializes in bugs, both living and electronic. If he can’t figure out how something techy works, we just call in a favor with Shikamaru.”

Hmm. Shino could be a problem. "Interesting." So could Kiba. "It sounds as though you're all very close." Which also could be problematic, but in Naruto's case, it was certainly helpful to Sai's cause.

“Yeah, we all went to school together. All the way back to elementary school, actually. So we all know each other pretty well.” But even though that was the case, Naruto saw no need to exclude the new guy. “Don’t worry, though, I’m sure you’ll get used to the team in no time!”

"Yes, I'm sure I will." He smiles. "I have to admit that I do feel a bit like the odd man out. You all seem to go way back." He chuckles.

“Yeah, there’s about a dozen of us who went to school together for a long time, and we kinda gravitated towards each other for the most part.” Naruto felt like it worked out pretty well for all of them, because any one of them could be called up at a moment’s notice. “Me, Shino, and Kiba ended up here. Sakura and Hinata work together. Shikamaru helps us out when he has the time. Lee and Tenten went into being personal trainers. Neji was a year up, and I’m not really sure what happened to him. But Chouji went off to be a chef, and Ino took over her family’s business. Of course, the bastard had to be the really weird one and joined up with the military. Oh, and Karin and Suigetsu followed him there.”

He chuckles. "Well that is all very nice." Sai looks at him in amusement, trying to be casual. "Why do you refer to one as a bastard though?" He smiles. "I don't see why how joining the military makes someone a bastard?"

Naruto shrugs. “I call him a bastard, he calls me an idiot, a moron, a loser, stupid, or Dobe. It’s just kinda our thing.” And even if it pissed him off, he wouldn’t change his best friend for the world. “Sasuke’s creative like that.”

"Oh yes." Sai smiles again. Smiling was said to endear people to you. He had read about it in a book once. "I can see why you would call him a bastard in this case. After all, he started it."

“You’re damn right, he started it! I was just trying to be friendly when we were kids, and he stuck his nose up at me! Such a bastard!” Naruto seethes for just a second, before grinning again. “But the guy’s my best friend. Stupid at times, even though he’s a genius, but he’s brave. And he’s got some serious guts to be doing what he’s doing.”

He tilts his head. "What is he doing?" Sai smiles at him in what he figured was a pleasant manner. "I mean specifically. Military is very...generic. It could cover a lot of things."

“He’s a captain, been on tour a few times, got declared MIA for a year, but he’s back now and slated for a promotion to major.” And Naruto was thrilled that Sasuke was going to be back and working near home. “He’s been leading platoons out on ops ever since he got out of the academy about…seven years back. But he’s back now, and he’s not going anywhere if I have anything to say about it.” Naruto’s fingers twitch towards his gun on reflex. Orochimaru was NOT getting his slimy hands on HIS best friend. Not again.

"Well I'm glad he's back and he's lucky to have a friend like you." Sai nods as if to confirm what he was saying. "I’m sure he'll adjust."

“Yeah, he’s adjusting.” Though Naruto was pretty sure that Sasuke wasn’t adjusting nearly as well as he pretended he was. He’d seen some shit out on the job, and people didn’t recover so completely so quickly. “I’m still worried about him, though.”

He smiles. "Well that's what makes you a good friend." And Sai was sure that he was going to glean lots of useful information out of this friend of Sasuke's. Danzo had been right.

Naruto smiles back. “He may be a bastard sometimes, but I’ve got his back. And if anyone wants at him, well, they’re gonna have to go through me.”

"Ah I see." He nods. "Well that's good to know." Shame. He seemed like a friendly fellow, but Sai had no issue killing him, if need be. "Perhaps a tour?"

“Sure!” Naruto grabs some papers to flick through as he points the way down the next hallway. “Let’s go!”

Sai smiles and allows Naruto to lead him off. Everything was going according to plan.

* * *

 

Orochimaru sips his wine at Kabuto's place. "Sai is beginning his first day at the police department." The plan was going perfectly so far. He just had to be patient. "If only the rest of life worked out so easily." He chuckles.

“Yes. If it did, Sasuke never would have been recovered in the first place.” It was unfortunate, and life sometimes threw them curveballs. But this could be rectified easily enough. Kabuto was fairly confident that this plan would work. Provided, of course, that Sai didn’t murder the police commissioner’s son in the middle of it. A death that high profile would cause more problems than it solved.

"Yes, it would have been preferable, if Sasuke didn't get away." Just like it would have been preferable, if Tsunade didn't get away in a very different sense. "Still, one must learn to adjust to unforeseen circumstances."

“Yes, of course.” Kabuto knew that well. “Do you have an itinerary of tests in mind that should be performed when he’s recovered? It would be best not to wait too long to get him back on the injections.”

He hands Kabuto a rather thick folder. "Of course, I do." Orochimaru smirks. "I've had months to prepare."

Kabuto opens it up, raising an eyebrow at the contents. It was even more extreme than the treatment they’d already been giving their guinea pig. It involved forcing Sasuke’s cells to further regenerate themselves, replicating the altered strands of DNA to replace the normal strands with. It would speed up the ‘transformation’ that was taking its time to slowly replace the DNA as his cells replicated naturally. “You want to destroy his cells so that they’ll be replaced with the new ones. Interesting…” And on top of that was increasing the dosages of hormones in order to further improve strength, speed, and create larger feedback loops so that the hormones would produce themselves without injections in greater than average concentrations.

"We have a rare opportunity here." Orochimaru smiles as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "We should take it. Don't you agree?" He raises an eyebrow as if daring Kabuto to argue with his genius.

“We do indeed. And so far, he has proven to be a successful and resilient test subject. Pushing him to his limits will be quite a benefit to the research.” Kabuto was almost…giddy with anticipation. “I do hope that he doesn’t expire too quickly. He’s shown such promising results.”

"If it seems as though he's going to die, we will pull back." Orochimaru shakes his head. "He's far too valuable to lose on purpose, but if it happens...well sacrifices are sometimes necessary."

Kabuto nods. “Of course.” Though he had long since decided that it was a miracle Sasuke had survived as long as he had. “What of confining him? If we do it a second time, there will need to be precautions to stop him from hurting himself. Should I have a padded room made for him, in case he gets it into his head to stop the experiments prematurely?”

He nods. "Yes, a padded room would be best." Orochimaru sighs. "We can't have him ending the experiments prematurely, of course."

Kabuto makes another mark on the file. “And the…persuasive implements? Would you like to keep the whip, the needles, and the surgical tools, or will the injections be all?”

"At the moment, the injections should be sufficient." He smiles. "We aren't starting from scratch. He'll probably deteriorate rapidly from previous exposure."

“Very well.” Oh well, Kabuto did enjoy hearing Sasuke scream. “And if it seems that he has regained his spirit and proves too stubborn and willful?” After all, he’d remained stubborn until the end, so there was no guarantee that Sasuke would break immediately.

Orochimaru shrugs. The thought had occurred to him. "If that proves to be the case, we'll employ the same methods we used last time." There was no reason why they couldn't get those objects out later.

“Yes, Sir.” And more likely than not, Sasuke’s blood would once again be splattered all over his ‘room’. Kabuto would look forward to dishing out punishment and persuasion where it was required.

"Can I trust you to act in the interest of scientific advancement and not purely for your own personal pleasure?" He knew that look in Kabuto's eyes. "I know when things are personal, Kabuto. I'm not a fool."

Kabuto snaps the file shut, sighing. “Yes, sir. I will act as needed. However, if there is something required of me that I can take pleasure in, well…I would rather not deny myself. Research, however, is my primary goal, as you know.”

He shakes his head. "Well I suppose that's an acceptable answer. Pleasure and advancement need not be exclusive, but if the former takes priority over the latter, we will have a problem." And Kabuto knew how Orochimaru dealt with problems.

“Of course, Sir.” Kabuto knew very well what happened to people who crossed Orochimaru. It never ended well. Lying to him also never ended well. “Will that be all?”

"Yes, that will be all for now." He nods his head approvingly. "Unless there was something you wished to address further?"

“Not at the moment.” After all, discussing the Hyuga Princess could always come later. And Kabuto was feeling rather vengeful. The woman was actively avoiding him and shooting him dirty looks. She knew. Sasuke must have told her, which meant that she likely hated him now. No matter. If Orochimaru wanted the woman as a broodmare, that was fine. Kabuto would take what pleasure he could in convincing those two to further the experiments.

Orochimaru shakes his head at this. "Very well. I shall keep you updated and if you find anything out, do not hesitate to call. No matter the time." Nothing was going to stop him, surely not something as simple as the hour.

“Of course, Sir.” Kabuto smirks slightly as he takes the folder with him. The Uchiha would be a lab rat again soon enough if he had anything to say about it. This was, after all, for the sake of scientific advancement that would benefit the entire human species. …Small sacrifices could be made.

* * *

 

Sasuke sighed as he sat in the platoon barracks, watching Karin and Suigetsu go at it yet again. The two were so lucky that they could see each other at work, even if it annoyed the crap out of everyone. At least they didn’t have a crazy kidnapping maniac after them. Not that Sasuke would want either of them to take his place. No, that wasn’t an option. This was his problem, and he would deal with it.

Even if that meant not seeing Hinata until this was over. She was safe at her father’s house, and Naruto was making sure that she got to work and back home safely every day. The blond cop might be an overly friendly idiot, but he was a loyal idiot who would probably take a bullet for him, if he didn’t push the Dobe out of the way first.

Still, that didn’t make ignoring his phone any easier. What did make it a little easier was having something to do. He wasn’t going to be back on active duty for another…month or so, so Kakashi had been running him through the kinds of tasks he would be handling here. It was mostly a lot of math, good judgment, and signing off on things so that troops out in the field could do their own jobs. He could handle something like that.

Though he was worried about going stir-crazy. He was already fidgeting like crazy, and he was starting to consider asking Kakashi to delay the promotion and just send him overseas again. The only reason he didn’t was because he figured that Hinata would throw a fit if he did. And that was not something he wanted to think about.

Still, watching his two teammates go at each other half like they wanted to kill each other, and half like they wanted to start making babies on the floor…not his thing.

Kakashi shakes his head. "Well I imagine that is one household that is never quiet." He chuckles as he stands next to Sasuke and watches the fireworks. "I hope they soundproof their walls."

“They’re going to have to, otherwise the neighbors are going to be hearing very loud babies at this rate.” And Sasuke was envisioning having to sign papers to give Karin maternity leave sometime in the near future. At least, with the way these two were going at it.

"Well, maybe the children will be quieter than their parents." Kakashi chuckles. "Though I suspect they're both taking the proper precautions." God help them, if Karin and Suigetsu actually had a kid.

“Probably. Karin is a medic, after all, she knows to be careful, even if Suigetsu knows nothing about the concept of any kind of caution.” At least, Sasuke sure hopes that Karin was being the smart one. If Suigetsu had rubbed off on her… Well, Sasuke shuddered to think at the chaos their kid would cause. Still… “…The fact that this is even a topic of conversation is making me feel old.” Seriously, a year or two ago, this wouldn’t have ever really been a concern. But…he was twenty seven, and his friends were all established in their careers. This was about the time that they would start having children.

Kakashi laughs. His own relationship was flourishing and luckily for them, they didn't need to worry about such things. "That's true. I"m sure that Karin is handling it. She's always been more practical." Though he might have unintentionally walked into a sore subject. Sasuke couldn't even see his girlfriend at the moment. He should probably change topics. "Itachi has made a profile."

Sasuke’s blood runs cold quickly. “Itachi actually managed to profile…him?” He didn’t think it was possible to profile someone so…sadistic, cruel, and impossible to understand. Sasuke couldn’t even wrap his head around what the experiments had done to him, let alone why anyone would want to do such a thing on purpose.

Well, no, he could, he just didn’t want to. Once perfected, that kind of recipe could be sold for millions, billions even to the highest bidder. And the services of the man who created the formula, worth even more to any give country. They could create an army to conquer all other armies. And in the wrong hands…no, in anyone’s hands, that kind of experiment would only bring disaster. “What did Itachi say?”

"Well long story short, in his own demented way, he actually thinks he's the good guy ." Kakashi rolls his eyes. "He thinks that by conducting these experiments, somehow he'll unlock the key to immortality in a way. After all, if his cells regenerate fast enough, he won't age." The silver haired man shakes his head. "And he thinks he'll serve as some kind of benevolent dictator."

Well, that was a story that Sasuke had heard too many times. Minus the attempt at immortality bit. “He actually thinks that he can stop himself from ageing?” What good would that do for an old man? He would still be perpetually old. “So he’s not looking to create an army?” That would make so much more sense in Sasuke’s mind. Why shoot for the impossible instead?

Kakashi shakes his head. "Well he's something of a multi-tasker. Even if he was immortal, an old man can't take over the world by himself." The military officer sighs and rubs his temples in frustration as if to will a headache away. "So he wants both. An army of supersoldiers and immortality."

“…So he’s insane. Great…” As if Sasuke wasn’t freaked out enough by this guy. “And if he gets his hands on me, his one partial success, he’ll be that much closer to his demented goal.” Honestly, Sasuke suspected that it was Kakashi’s affection for him that was stopping the colonel from putting a bullet in his brain. And Sasuke wouldn’t blame him if he did. It would be for the greater good. Even if he knew Kakashi wouldn’t do it.

"Well...there was one interesting quirk that Itachi found." Kakashi doubted it would be useful at this point, but one never knew. "It seems that he also has a thing for women in the medical field. Well at least one woman."

Sasuke freezes. “He has his eye on a civilian?” Not good. This woman might not be able to defend herself if Orochimaru came knocking.

Kakashi pauses. "As strange as it sounds, I don't think she's in danger. This soft spot for the woman goes back decades." Another pause. "And he hasn't made contact with her for I'd say at least 30 years."

Sasuke frowns. “That’s almost two decades before he went on the run, isn’t it?” He wasn’t perfectly clear on all of the details, but that sounded about right.

"Hmm. Something like that." Kakashi nods in agreement. "For whatever reason, he appears to have cut himself out from her life completely or from our records, it's more like she shoved him out and he stayed gone." He sighs. "It's a wild card."

“Which means that it might be true, but it’s not reliable.” Then again, if the woman had the power to shove a man like Orochimaru out of her life in the first place, then maybe she wasn’t in as much danger as he feared. “Is there a name?”

Kakashi rubs the back of his head sheepishly. "It's a small world. Tsunade." One of the doctors at the hospital and Hinata's boss.

Sasuke blinks, before hanging his head and smiling wryly. “Of course it would be her…” Alright, no need to worry then. That woman could handle herself. Hell, that woman could probably handle a room full of generals and bring them to heel. “I can’t imagine what possessed him to go after a woman like THAT.” That was way too much for Sasuke to handle. Hell, some days, Hinata was too much for him to handle.

"Well Tsunade was quite the beauty in her day and she aged really well." Sometimes well enough that Kakashi wondered if some plastic surgery might have been involved. "I think it was mostly intellectual attraction and he probably liked how....assertive she is." He shrugs. "Don't ask me. I prefer a more mellow mate myself."

“If you prefer mellow, I have to wonder how you ended up banging my brother.” Sasuke almost shivers at the thought. “He’s got a sadistic streak several miles long, not to mention that pole up his ass.” Which was saying something, coming from Sasuke.

Kakashi shrugs. "He's as cuddly as a kitten, if you know how to handle him." He smiles at that thought. "Though he can be rather sadistic, you're right."

“A kitten?” Sasuke had a hard time believing that about his brother. “You’ve got to be kidding me. Maybe a honey badger, but not a kitten. And he’s still got a frozen steel pole shoved where the sun doesn’t shine.”

"Sasuke, don't give me that easy of an opening." The other officer chuckles. "There are a thousand jokes."

Grimacing, Sasuke had to admit that there really was a lot of dirty jokes that could be made about that. “I’m surprised that you restrained yourself.”

The silver haired man laughs. "Well I think that I’ve traumatized you enough for now." He smiles.

“I’ll never be able to look at a couch the same way again.” Sasuke’s grimace turns sour. “At least I’ll be moving on base in a month.” Or to Hinata’s house, if all of this was over by then, and she didn’t break up with him over it.

"I am sorry about ruining couches for you." Kakashi pretends to look apologetic. "That is true though."

On base, he would be safe, Sasuke knew that much. For now, it was all about staying that way until then. He was back up to full strength, in fact, he felt stronger than he did before. likely as a result of those experiments. So it wasn’t like he was in much danger yet.

That’s when his phone rang. He glances down at it, flinching slightly when he sees the name. “Hinata…” She must have gotten fed up with waiting and decided to call him.

Hinata couldn't help it. She knew that he probably wouldn't answer, but just dialing the numbers made her feel better.

Sasuke sighs, slipping away from his commander and into an empty office. “…Hey Hinata.” He quickly braced himself for what was sure to be an unpleasant rant, at the very least.

"Oh." Hinata was surprised that he answered. "I didn't expect you to pick up." There were a million things that she wanted to say to him, but suddenly she found herself rather tongue-tied just by the sound of his voice.

There was a moment of silence, before Sasuke broke it. “I’m sorry for ignoring you.” He just felt like it was for her own good, for now. Maybe it would be the measure that kept her alive.

She sighs. "I know why you're doing it." That didn't make it any easier. "It feels so good just to hear your voice though. How are you holding up?"

“I haven’t cracked yet.” He pauses for a second. “I think.” At this point, Sasuke wasn’t sure if he was still sane or not. All of this waiting was making his anxiety worse. And bad jokes with his commander were about all that was keeping him grounded.

"That's good. When this is all over, if you're...better I'm thinking about breaking out the cuffs." She might as well say it. "I know why you did it, but you're still in very big trouble!"

So she was planning on punishing him? It almost made Sasuke want to be a masochist. Almost… “Oh yeah?” He couldn’t help smirking a little, though. “How much trouble am I in?”

"Very big trouble." She nods seriously though he couldn't see it. "Handcuff level trouble."

Oh, how was he supposed to resist that. “As in…I get to bend you over Naruto’s squad car level handcuff trouble?” Too far? Naruto was her ex, but he was Sasuke’s best friend. And it would be a great way to scandalize Naruto’s whole precinct.

"Well...more like I was going to cuff you and tease you until you begged for my attention, but...that suggestion might be acceptable, provided you are on very good behavior." Hinata smiles on the other side of the phone.

Sasuke smirks at that. “I hope you know that a pair of handcuffs wouldn’t hold me very long. I can do a lot, even with my hands tied.” Good luck getting him to sit still. Though he hadn’t taken Hinata for an exhibitionist. Interesting…

"I don't know, I'm pretty good with cuffs." She could probably keep him cuffed up. "But we'll see. Maybe. If you're a good boy."

“I thought the exhibitionism was if I was good, and the cuffs for if I was bad.” Sasuke kind of hoped that Hinata’s face was turning red. She looked so cute as a tomato.

She blushes, not that he could see it. "Well it wasn't necessarily exhibitionism, if we do the car thing." Hinata squeaks. "But the cuffs are if you're bad and other thing, if you're good."

“Alright.” Well, Sasuke figured that he won either way, so that wasn’t an issue. Still… “…I love you, remember that.”

"I love you too." She sighs. "I just wish that I could see you." Hinata pauses. "Naruto says that Itachi made a profile though. So we're getting closer."

“Yeah…” Though Sasuke honestly didn’t know how much a profile like that was going to help. The man was clearly insane. His tactics…Sasuke couldn’t even begin to guess at them. Not from a man who was after immortality. “I should head back. Itachi will be getting home in a couple of hours for supper, and I can have something ready for him by the time he gets back.”

Hinata nods. "Alright." It was so hard to hang up. "Stay safe." She was going to have to somehow though.

It wasn’t a promise that Sasuke could make. He knew that. “I’ll do my best.” That’s all he could say without lying.

"I love you. I'm going to hang up now." She sighs and hangs up. "Well at least I got to hear him again."

“…” Sasuke looks at the phone, dread building in his stomach. Would he be able to keep the promise Hinata had wanted…? He doubted it.


	32. Chapter 32

Sasuke zoomed down the freeway, making his way deeper into the city. Luckily, he was beating rush hour in favor of the light mid-afternoon traffic. There was nothing worse than driving through the city just after five. No thank you, Sasuke would rather take surviving an explosion to that honking, screaming mess.

It did, however, give him time to slow down and enjoy the scenery. New York did look rather nice if there wasn’t a crowd of cars in the way. Though his helmet did obscure the view a little, at least it kept the hot summer sun from burning his skin, even if it felt like it was cooking him alive in all this black.

Sai smiles as he follows Sasuke. He had come up with the perfect way to get the Uchiha alone. "Sasuke!" He drives off after him. "Pull over! It's important!" He'd just tell Sasuke that Naruto wanted to meet him somewhere and the other man would likely go running and then Sai could grab him.

Sasuke could hear someone calling his name, so he glances in the side mirror, seeing another motorcyclist behind him. And this one was flagging him. Not only that, but he was wearing the uniform of the NYPD. This couldn’t be good.

So, he pulls to the side of the road, after making sure that he hadn’t been speeding, and checks his taillight once he comes to a stop. No problem there either. What was going on? He takes off his helmet to get a better look at the slowing officer behind him.

Sai nods as he follows him to the side of the road, taking off his helmet. "There you are." He shoots him another smile, trying to put him at ease. "We've been trying to get a hold of you all day. Naruto told me to try to find you."

“Naruto did?” Sasuke couldn’t help but feel a little suspicious. Well, Naruto HAD tried to call him a few times, but maybe he tried more than Sasuke thought. Still… “I’ve never seen you before. How do you know Naruto?” Better safe than sorry.

"We work in homicide together." Sai smiles at him. "I’m new. He figured you might have gotten out of range or something and I was working this area anyway."

“No, I’m just ignoring people right now.” Homicide? Sasuke didn’t know anyone like this on Naruto’s homicide team. Then again, he did say that he was new… “Fine, I’ll call the idiot.” He pulls his cellphone out of his pocket, turning it on and dialing his friend. No answer.

He smiles. "No answer? Hmm. He must have already left." Sai shrugs. "He said something about wanting you to meet him at Mangekyo." An old abandoned gas station about twenty miles out of the city. "Something about a lead? He wouldn't tell me what about though."

“A lead?” No way…could Naruto actually have found… Sasuke glances at Sai, that smile of his creeping him the hell out.

Sai nods. "Yes, a lead." He shakes his head. "I guess no one wants to brief the new guy on an old case, but he wouldn't budge. He just said it was really important."

If it meant ending this once and for all…well, Sasuke was willing to take that lead. “Alright, give me a few seconds.” His fingers work furiously as he sends a text to Itachi.

**_Seems like the idiot found something. Going to meet him now. ~ Sasuke_ **

That should be more than enough to tell Itachi that things were serious. And since he didn’t want to be trying to answer calls from Itachi while driving, he turns his phone off. Besides, it was Naruto waiting on the other end, not some ninja assassin.

Itachi gets the text and blinks. Not knowing that Sasuke had already turned his phone off, he fires off a response quickly.

**_Alright. Be careful. I’ll follow you as soon as I can. ~ Itachi_ **

Sliding the phone away, Sasuke puts his helmet back on. “You can go back to your patrol. I know the way to the meeting place from here.” It may have been years since he’d last been there, but he still knew where that old gas station was tucked away.

Sai nods. "Alright." And with that, Sai takes off. Luckily, he knew a few shortcuts that he doubted Sasuke would think of taking. "I can head him off."

Sasuke wasn’t usually a speed demon, but even he was pushing the legal limits as he races out of the city and down the highway. He didn’t break them, but he was pretty damn close as scenery flashed by. This could be his one chance to finally be free of this nightmare. And once he got the lead from Naruto…well, he would have to send the blond home, or the idiot would just follow him into trouble.

That said, when he pulls up at the gas station, there’s no one there. “Great…the Dobe must be late again.” If the idiot got stuck somewhere in the city, that would explain it. After all, traffic could be a real bitch sometimes, even for a police officer, and especially if the sirens weren’t wailing.

Sai smirks. He had beaten Sasuke, but only just. Now, was the time to act. "You made good time." And with that, he pulls out his gun, aiming a shot for Sasuke's legs.

Sasuke started moving as soon as he heard Sai’s snide voice. He knew that there was something he didn’t like about the way that the guy smiled. The first shot just misses as it slams into the ground next to his foot. He takes his helmet off in a flash, his Beretta in his hand before the black motorcycle helmet hits the ground, already pointed at Sai.

Rather than aiming for the legs, he has the gun trained on Sai’s forehead. “Alright, so you’re not NYPD. Who are you?” No officer of the NYPD would shoot at the best friend of the police commissioner’s son, a decorated military officer. At least, not without the best damn reason in the whole world.

Hmm. A head shot was a kill shot. "Who I am is irrelevant." Sasuke could survive a bullet to the leg, but Sai couldn't survive one to the head. "I'd put that gun down, if I was you. Imagine what will happen if you kill me and the authorities find out about it."

“Seeing as you shot at me first, I have grounds for self-defense.” Sasuke narrows his eyes, not lowering his gun in the slightest. Was this guy working for Orochimaru? That’s the only person he could think of who would pull something like this. “And if you’re working for who I think you are, I think you’d rather end up dead, instead of in the hands of my best friend and the NYPD, or my brother at the FBI and his friends in the CIA who would make what’s left of your life a living hell before Itachi gets at you himself. So, Orochimaru, right? He’s the one who sent you?”

"It really doesn't matter, but as you're never going to get the opportunity to tattle....I guess I can ease your mind." He tries to raise his gun to make it a more serious spot. "You could just consider me a contract worker. My current job is for Orochimaru yes, but he matters little to me." He smiles cheerfully. "I'd shoot him, just as easily as I would shoot you for the right price."

To kill or not to kill. That was the question. Sasuke had no qualms killing this man for this. Obviously, this was a man with no remorse. The world wouldn’t miss him. On the other hand, he had information that could lead them to Orochimaru.

In a split second decision, he aims for Sai’s right shoulder instead. Not lethal, but definitely enough to do some damage and debilitate him.

Sai might have been almost emotionless, but he was still a human being. There were some reactions you couldn't get rid of. "AHHH! YOU SON OF A BITCH!" Pain being one of them.

He quickly grabs his shoulder and tries to stop the bleeding as he attempts to dart off. Damn it. He'd be at a disadvantage in the fight now. This wound would need treatment, but he needed to do this sniper style, apparently. Sai just needed to get one good shot in. Without killing him. God only knows, what Danzo would do, if he killed the precious lab rat.

Sasuke knew that Sai wouldn’t be able to get very far with his injured shoulder, and riding off on that motorcycle of his would be difficult. Sasuke could spare a few seconds, which he uses to turn on his phone. The text from Itachi pops up, and Sasuke shakes his head.

**_Trap. Hitman. Attempted kidnapping. In pursuit. ~ Sasuke_ **

That should be more than enough to let Itachi know what was going on. And as Sasuke raises the gun again, his eyes find his target trying to get away on the other motorcycle.

Well, Kakashi always had said that if Sasuke had joined the air force, he would have gotten all sorts of decorations for his shooting skills.

Sai indeed was trying to get on the motorcycle. He manages to drive it with one arm, though he knew that he had to get out of there quickly. The target might be able to a moving target. In this case him and he wasn't about to die on a failed mission!

If Sai thought he could get away, he was sorely mistaken. Sasuke raises the gun to eye level, aiming carefully, before shooting at the back tire, being careful not to risk hitting the gas tank.

The aim was true and one of the tires gets struck. Sai had barely gone twenty feet, before his bike crashes. He manages to jump off and roll, absorbing most of the impact.

Meanwhile Itachi gets a text and reads it. His eyes widen and he quickly fires off a series of texts with the same message to Kakashi, Konan and her harem, and Naruto.

**_Mangekyo Gas Station! Now! There is a Hitman after Sasuke! ~ Itachi._ **

And with that being said, Itachi quickly heads off. As he was racing towards the gas station as fast as his car could go, he was relieved to know that his gun was fully loaded. "Thank God that cell phones are so easily tracked." He growls as he floors it.

Sasuke’s eyes dart across the road, looking for any sign of movement around where Sai disappeared. He moves forward cautiously, ready to shoot anything that moves.

Sai winces. "Damn it." There was no way that he'd be able to change a tire with a man aiming a gun at him. He manages to sneak through the ditch at the side of the road, hiding himself behind the station as he fires off a shot. Thankfully, you only really needed one arm to fire off a gun.

Sasuke heard the gunshot, but that was all before a piercing, burning pain erupted in his back. As he stumbles slightly, he turns to look at the station, approximately where the gunshot came from. He raises his arm, eyes narrowed in pain as he searches for Sai. The hitman was good, he’d give him that. Obviously well trained. And here he was, exposed, and without cover. Not to mention the fact that he was bleeding, badly.

The bullet was lodged pretty deep, but it didn’t feel like it had hit anything vital. At least, not vital enough to kill him quickly. Sasuke touches his back, his hand coming away with blood. Injury confirmed.

Sai smirks. "He's been hit." He makes his way over to Sasuke. He was careful to keep his gun fully trained on him. "I'll blow your god damn head off, if you resist or I’ll just start shooting little pieces off of you, one at a time."

Sasuke’s gun flicks back up, his will forcing his body to stay steady. He refused to go into shock from one gunshot. “Orochimaru wants me alive. You won’t kill me.” His finger twitches, but not hard enough to fire. Damn it!

"If it comes down to completing my mission or dying, I'd rather have the unsuccessful mission." Sai shoots once more, the bullet piercing perfectly through Sasuke’s left shoulder, dropping the Beretta to the ground. “But that doesn’t mean I won’t still do what I can to complete it.”

Sasuke curses as blood drips down his arm, coloring his black jacket with a second ominous dark stain. Still, he crouches down to reach for his Beretta. Maybe uninjured, he could take someone with a gun, but not like this. He needed a weapon.

Taking advantage of that moment of weakness, Sai grabs Sasuke and throws him into a car, one he’d stashed here in preparation for the abduction. After all, kidnapping someone on a motorcycle was not an easy feat to accomplish. And the car was custom fitted with restraints for just this purpose. "Though I think you know there are fates much worse than death." Once the restraints are fastened, Sai jumps into the car and drives off. A feat which was made rather difficult by his injured shoulder.

Sasuke’s eyes darken in fear as he pulls against the restraints. Yes, he knew full well that there were things worse than death. So much worse, that he would rather bleed out in the back of the car than go back to THAT place.

* * *

 

Mere moments after Sai and Sasuke drove off, Itachi arrives at the gas station. "Damn it!" He must have just missed them. There were obvious signs of a struggle though. A motorcycle with a flat tire and some blood on the ground told him that much.

"No body though." That was a good sign or a very bad sign. "He's probably still alive. I just need to track him." Either Sasuke had been abducted or he had been murdered and the hitman was smart enough to take the body with him. "Please let his cell phone still be on him, so I can track him!" He half prays as he tries to track Sasuke and waits for the rest of the cavalry to arrive.

Naruto arrives next, sirens blaring as his squad car pulls up. As soon as the car comes to a complete stop, after skidding several meters, the blond detective is flying out of the car and towards Itachi. “What happened!?” Why the hell had Sasuke been out here with a hitman?

"I'm not sure, exactly." Itachi was still trying to track him. "It looks like he was taken captive. It has to be recently though. His signal was just here." He sighs in relief. "Well the Hitman is incompetent or didn't realize Sasuke has a cell phone on him. We can track him." Though Itachi could only hope it wasn't already too late. That was more blood on the ground than he was entirely comfortable with!

Naruto grimaces, but his years in the police force told him one thing. If you were waiting for your backup to show up, take the time you’ve got left to look at the scene of the crime.

So, he does just that, looking around at everything he could see. First, Sasuke’s motorcycle, which was parked and untouched. Then, there was Sasuke’s helmet lying on the ground, like it had been dropped. Sasuke’s gun wasn’t too far, lying right next to a pool of blood. Another pool of blood was near the downed motorcycle. And judging by the casings…

“Sasuke arrived here for a reason, he parked his motorcycle, got off it, and then got ambushed.” Naruto was sure about that much. “Then…he probably got off the first shot, there’s no blood where his helmet was dropped.” And judging where the rest of the blood was… “The bad guy got on his motorcycle and tried to take off, but Sasuke blew his tire out. Bad guy got blood on the ground while running away. Then he circled back…” Which would explain why there was a pool of blood next to Sasuke’s Beretta. “And he shot Sasuke once, maybe twice.” Because that was an awful lot of blood. “Now Sasuke’s gone, which means that the guy must have had a car stashed around here to take him off in.”

Itachi looks around and nods. "That seems accurate enough." He bites his lower lip. "Kakashi and the others will be here soon. It's easier to wait than to explain as we tail them." He hated waiting, but the fact of the matter was it would likely be minutes or less before the others showed up. "I'll send another text while we wait."

**_Sasuke kidnapped. At gas station now. He's been injured, but we suspect he's still alive. Trying to track his phone. Hurry! ~ Itachi_ **

Naruto’s fists clench as he tries not to go for his gun. Damn it, they’d just missed him! And he hated waiting for people to show up so that they could storm the beaches and get Sasuke back.

Luckily, he didn’t have to wait too long, as a black car pulls up, Yahiko and Nagato emerging from inside. “Just missed him, huh?” Yahiko resisted the urge to start cursing. This wasn’t the first time the perp had gotten away with the victim.

"Yes, now let's go." Itachi gets into his car. "I've got a signal. It’s not strong, but I should be able to follow it.” The problem was the constancy of the signal, it kept cutting in and out for just a few seconds at a time, making it look like the signal had jumped. “Everyone can follow me or ride with me." Seeing that Kakashi had just pulled in after Yahiko and Nagato appeared, Itachi sighs in relief.

"I'll drive. You give directions." Kakashi winces. "You're in no shape to drive now. Let's go." He gets in the car with Itachi, nudging him into the passenger seat." They had already wasted enough time in his mind. The two of them take off, knowing their friends would follow.

Yahiko and Nagato drive off after Kakashi and Itachi, while Naruto shoots off a text to Kiba to get a squad out here to take care of his and Kakashi’s cars. Then, he hops onto Sasuke’s motorcycle, grinning slightly, since he’d always wanted to ride this thing, and secures the helmet before taking off after the two cars.

* * *

 

Despite the terror coursing through Sasuke, he refused to show it outwardly as he was dragged underground. He knew this place. Mount Sinai. He’d spent plenty of time here, and hated every second of it. It almost felt like a movie, really. A hidden, underground lab underneath the hospital where the bad guys holed up, hidden right under the noses of the authorities.

Sai smiles cheerfully, despite the pain he felt in his shoulder. "KABUTO, OROCHIMARU!" He had completed his mission though and that's what mattered. Danzo would be pleased and he would get quite the large payday. "I've got him!"

As soon as he hears that voice, Kabuto smirks. Perfect. It looked like their experiments would be able to go on as planned. Their little lab rat would be back in his cage soon enough. “We’re in the lab!” After all, they needed to inspect their subject before starting any new experiments. It wouldn’t do, otherwise.

Orochimaru grins. "Excellent." This was what he had been waiting for. "We can finally proceed as planned." And a lifetime of hard work would finally pay off.

Sai nods and manages to drag Sasuke into the lab. "Son of a bitch shot me. I'm going to need a medic." He sighs and looks at Sasuke. "And you'll probably want to patch this asshole up before you try anything."

As soon as Sasuke catches sight of the two doctors, his fear triples, and so does his anger. And just like last time, he closes in on himself, locking his mouth shut and glaring at them with utmost loathing.

Kabuto frowns at the sight of blood all over Sasuke. “He must have put up quite a fight.” Not that he expected anything less. He knew that abducting a military officer wouldn’t be easy. “Didn’t you, Sasuke?”

The glare only darkens as Sasuke refuses to say a word.

"Perhaps he'll feel more talkative after we deal with his injuries." Orochimaru smiles and looks at Sai. "And don't worry, we'll deal with your shoulder. Thank you for bringing him back to us." Oh there was so much that Orochimaru wanted to do. He was eager to get started.

Sasuke grit his teeth in preparation. He would not break. No matter what, he would not break. Once his injuries were dealt with…he would fight until he was free. One way or another.

Orochimaru glances him up and down. "It's fortunate that the experiments have increased your healing rates." He sighs in exasperation. "Though it's likely you have a bullet in you." That would have to be removed.

“Of course, Sir.” Kabuto was already working on removing the bullet from Sai’s shoulder. It had gone in fairly deeply, but he was skilled enough to remove it without too much difficulty. He pulls the small projectile out, frowning at it. “Military issue. From a Beretta. He’s been carrying his side-arm with him.”

"Hmm." He looks at Sasuke. "You're just full of surprises." Orochimaru was shocked that the military would let Sasuke carry. "How did you convince them to let you handle any kind of weapon in your state. Let alone military grade?"

Sasuke just glared at Orochimaru. That was classified information, civilians weren’t privy to those kinds of requests. Nothing. He would say nothing.

Orochimaru shakes his head. "Right. You'll feel better once the bullet is out of you, I'm sure." He chuckles. "Where are my manners?"

“Wherever our little lab rat left his.” Kabuto walks up behind Sasuke, plunging a syringe into his neck, filled with a powerful sedative. It was a high dose, but thanks to all of the other hormones in Sasuke’s blood, it was necessary in order to knock the subject out. And though Sasuke struggled to remain conscious, he collapsed to the floor. “That won’t keep him out very long.”

"Kabuto, remember scientific advancement is our primary goal." He clucks his tongue disapprovingly. "Pleasure is secondary."

“Yes, I know.” Kabuto sets about taking off Sasuke’s jacket and shirt in order to get at the bullet in his back. “Though I have to say…” He glances at Sai. “Nice shot. You didn’t hit anything vital.”

Sai smiles. "Thank you. I've had special training." Danzo had seen to that. The young man doubted there were very many combat skills that he didn't possess.

“Clearly…” Kabuto carefully uses a scalpel to cut open the closing wound in order to get at the bullet. The regeneration rate was incredible. It couldn’t have been more than twenty minutes since Sasuke was shot, and already, the outer layer of skin was nearly intact. “The results from this will have to be added to the notes…”

"Of course." Orochimaru nods. "I can't believe how quickly he's healing." They were so close. Victory was at hand. "The payment will be wired to Danzo's account and from there, he'll pay you." He glances at Sai. "You may leave or rest for awhile. You've done well."

Kabuto also turns his gaze on Sai for a moment. “There’s a room in the back if you’d rather lie down. Just avoid the padded room. It locks from the outside.” And it was meant for the one who was getting a bullet pulled out of his back. There was a wet, sucking sound as Kabuto extracted the bullet, before quickly sewing up the hole. After all, it would heal even faster that way, and they could observe the progress of healing interior damage better.

Sai nods gratefully as he heads to the room in the back. That would be much better. He'd head back to Danzo soon.

"Well at least the bullet is out now." Orochimaru sighs in relief. "I imagine his recovery time will be quite impressive." Which was good because he really wanted to get started on the rest of their experiments.

“Yes…but it seems that a few months free have restored his will to fight.” Kabuto could see that being a problem in the future. “Should I put him in the special room I designed, or should we keep him here so that we can monitor him?”

"Monitoring him seems the best choice for now." Orochimaru looks him up and down warily. "Accelerated healing or not, I'd rather not have to move someone who just got shot at, if it's not necessary."

“Very well.” Not moving Sasuke wasn’t an option, but Kabuto could at least make sure to move him less. And that meant the closest place to put him was on the examination table. That was perfectly fine with Kabuto. It did, after all, come with the proper restraints.

Orochimaru sighs. "People will come looking for him." He smiles though. "That's alright. We are hiding in plain sight and that is to our advantage."

“That’s right…” Kabuto frowns. People would be coming after him. That meant that they would be tracking him through any means necessary. Just to be safe, he reaches into Sasuke’s pockets, searching for…ah ha! “Found it.” He extracts Sasuke’s cell-phone. Still turned on. He turns the power off, before dropping it to the floor and smashing his foot down on it. “It seems that Sai made an oversight.”

"Unfortunate, but the odds anyone noticed he went missing this quickly are low." Orochimaru sighs and shakes his head. "And lower still that they'd realize it was coming from underground. Still, he did what he promised. Sasuke is here." They'd deal with everything else later.

* * *

 

Kakashi glances over at Itachi as his lover goes quiet. “Well? What’s the next set of directions?” They were getting close, according to Itachi. The signal had stopped moving about ten minutes ago, somewhere in Manhattan.

He hisses and curses. "It went dead." They had found the phone. Which meant that Sasuke was in big trouble. "And I’m not sure if they stopped or not. They could still be moving."

“As in going to another location after searching Sasuke to make sure we weren’t tracking him.” Kakashi hated tracking through cell-phones. They were too easily found. And at this point, he was half tempted to insert a military grade tracking device under Sasuke’s skin. “Where was the last place you could detect his signal.” If nothing else, they might be able to track their way to him from there.

"Manhattan." Itachi pauses he didn't like how vague that location was. "I doubt that's where they stopped though." Why would they stop in the middle of all that hustle and bustle?

Well, what was in Manhattan? It would have to be a place that Orochimaru and Kabuto could hide out, somewhere they felt…comfortable, safe. But where would a couple of mad scientists hang out during work hours?

Work hours…

Kakashi takes a sharp turn onto the bridge to Manhattan. “Itachi, call Hinata NOW!” She had a shift there, maybe…

"Alright." He quickly calls Hinata. Though he glances at Kakashi uncertainly. "What am I supposed to say about all this?" Should he tell her the truth? Hinata deserved to know, but she would surely panic!

“For now, just put it on speaker.” Kakashi had a few things that he needed to confirm before he could know anything for sure.

Itachi nods as he puts Hinata on speaker. "Hello?" The bluenette's voice rings throughout the car in obvious confusion.

“Hinata, this is Kakashi. I don’t have much time, and I can’t stop and explain, but I need you to answer me carefully and truthfully, do you understand?” He didn’t usually use his no nonsense voice, but in a case like this…well, he had no choice.

She blinks at that voice. "Yes, I understand." A feeling of dread now growing in her belly.

“Did Kabuto Yakushi sign in to work today?” The man was, after all, a doctor. He could come and go as he pleased. It could be a perfect hiding place.

"Yes, he signed in." That just made her feel more terrified. "What else do you need to know?" She wanted to ask why, but she knew that Kakashi was in Crisis Management Mode. It was best not to interrupt.

Okay, so Kabuto HAD been to the hospital at least. “Have you seen him at all today? Is he in his office?” If he wasn’t, then Kakashi was sure that he was hiding out somewhere in that huge hospital. It was a research institute, which meant that it wasn’t just beds and reception desks. There were labs all over, not to mention the floors dedicated to pursuits such as physical therapy.

"Let me check." There was a pause and the sound of walking could be heard. "No. He's not in his office." Hinata was about two seconds away from having a panic attack at the moment.

Checked in, but not in his office. Kakashi turns to Itachi. “I think we just found him.” Then, he gets his eyes back on the road. “Hinata, are there any private or unoccupied labs in the hospital, or maybe a basement?”

"Well there is a bottom floor that was used during WWII as a bunker, but no one has used that in decades." Hinata frowns. "What's this all about?"

Bingo. “Hinata, I know that you’re on the verge of panicking right now, but you need to keep your head on straight. We all do.” Kakashi really didn’t want to break this to her, but she was a smart woman. Sometimes that was a good thing, and sometimes a bad thing. “They took him. There was a trap.”

She blinks. "How the fuck do you expect me not to panic when you say that?!" The man had completely lost his mind! "We need to get him back!"

“Hinata, we’re already on our way there. Itachi is in the car with me, and we’ve got two CIA agents, plus Naruto following us as well.” Great, maybe he should have just said it was classified or something. “We should arrive in ten minutes.” As long as the traffic didn’t screw them over.

"You think he's in the freaking bunker?!" Hinata blinks. "They couldn't possibly be that stupid." To conduct such experiments in the hospital?!

“They might possibly be that arrogant.” After all, Kakashi doubted that they would expect a whole team to be after Sasuke so quickly, unless they cracked his password and found the text messages. “Sasuke’s cell-phone signal was last detected in Manhattan. It’s the best idea I’ve got.”

"Alright to get to it, the elevator. Floor number zero." She sighs. "I'll let you focus on driving." And with that, Hinata hangs up on Kakashi and rushes towards the elevator to do potentially the stupidest thing that she had ever attempted in her life. She was going to try to shoot a mad scientist and whatever the hell Kabuto was at this point. She had a gun on her. She'd shoot them in the back.


	33. Chapter 33

“Damn it!” Kakashi swerves into the next lane, trying to race through the afternoon traffic faster. It was getting ever closer to rush hour. That meant traffic was only going to get worse from here on out. And that girl had to be come kind of crazy to storm in all by herself! “I think we just found someone even more reckless than Sasuke.”

Itachi blinks in horror. "You don't think that she's actually crazy enough to try to take them on by herself, do you?" She was such a sweet little thing. Honestly, when it came to Sasuke and Hinata, it was clearly a case of opposites attracting. He had a hard time imagining her being that crazy.

Well then again, love had never been very logical. "Never mind." He sighs. "She would. We have to hurry!" Before she gets herself killed.

Kakashi groans as traffic starts to slow down, boxing them in. “I hope that she at least took my advice to heart about the seriousness of self-defense.” He may have gone behind Sasuke’s back and told Hinata to be careful about that, and if possible, to be armed.

"It's probably a violation of privacy, but I've been watching her closely." Itachi sighs and shakes his head. "She's got a gun registered in her name. She's most likely carrying."

“And…I’m the one who encouraged her to carry it.” Kakashi wanted nothing more than to bang his head against the steering wheel. Except…he had Itachi in the car, so he wouldn’t. “That girl is going to get herself killed playing G.I. Jane like that.”

"If Sasuke survives this and she does, I imagine that she's going to have some serious bruises from the spankings." Itachi sighs. "We have to get there before it’s too late."

* * *

 

Sasuke felt groggy as he woke. The last thing he remembered was Kabuto injecting him with something. He must have been sedated. He tries to sit up, only to find that he can’t move. Restrained. Not good. Could he break out of the restraints?

He tugs on them, feeling soft wool and hard leather. No, those were strong restraints, old-fashioned, but designed for holding down patients who had seizures. He wasn’t going anywhere. Dammit. He’d have to wait until they moved him.

Orochimaru smiles. "How are you feeling, Sasuke?" He smirks as he looks him over from head to toe. "I do apologize for the rude reunion, but well you are an elusive one."

Sasuke felt disgusted just by Orochimaru’s gaze. But as was his creed, he stayed silent, reproachful eyes doing all of his talking for him. He hated this man with every fiber of his being. No false courtesies would change that.

"Hmm. Still not up to talking." He shrugs. "You're healing rate is exceptional. We'll be able to begin experiments again, relatively shortly."

The experiments again… Sasuke turns his head away. “I won’t be here much longer.” If he couldn’t get free…well, he could always bite his tongue. Drown in his own blood.

Orochimaru smirks. "I wouldn't be so pessimistic." He smiles and places a cloth in his mouth. "You've always been wonderfully resilient and if you thought you were going to choke on your own blood, well I can’t have that."

Sasuke’s glare hardens like ice. Sadistic didn’t even cover it when it came to this man who had Sasuke straining quietly against the restraints.

"I really wish you wouldn't glare at me that way." He sighs. "You know, you're lucky it was me and not Kabuto. I have concerns that he's holding a petty grudge against you." Orochimaru examines him and takes his vitals. "He also has a soft spot for Dr. Hyuga, you know?" He smiles. "Not that I can blame you for finding her desirable. Few men can resist a sexy doctor or nurse. " He pauses. "That doesn't change the fact that you're still my favorite. In a way, I feel like such a proud father. You're going to help us make history."

That…freak had a soft spot for Hinata!? Sasuke clenches his fists, pulling fruitlessly on the restraints. And like hell was this guy a ‘proud father’. He was twisted and evil and completely insane!

"Oh don't worry." Orochimaru smiles. "Your vitals are strong and since we got you here, we didn't have to resort to the kidnapping that we originally had planned." He nods. "Which is good because that would have been in terribly poor form."

Kidnapping? But they’d already… Ice, that’s what ran through Sasuke’s veins. Had they planned to kidnap Hinata? Just to get hold of him!? That was exactly why he told her to stay away from him. They would use her to get to him. No, Hinata had nothing to do with any of this. He was already here. If he was here…they wouldn’t touch her.

Orochimaru nods sympathetically. "So really, you should be grateful. You're going to be part of history and if you survive, I might even let you make a second generation with your little doctor." He make a few notations on a clipboard.

Sasuke’s eyes widen. A second generation? They were going to…BREED him? …If he couldn’t find a way to escape, the first thing he’d do was castrate himself. No matter how much it hurt or stung his pride, he was not going to be used like a stud to sire an army of super-soldiers for this madman.

"Of course, I know you." Orochimaru smiles. "You'd probably try to remove your reproductive capacity, if you weren't well interested in the woman." He shrugs. "So it's just easier to indulge you. I can't have you hurting yourself, after all."

Hinata had made her way down the elevator and followed the sound of voices. It didn't take long to hear well a man's. She assumed that it was Orochimaru. It certainly wasn't Kabuto.

Upon hearing THAT comment, that he was actually planning on breeding Sasuke like some kind of lab rat or thoroughbred, all sense flew out the window. "Bastard!" And with that, she fires off a shot, aiming for his knee. He either wouldn't be able to walk or he would be stumbling if he could muster the strength. She wasn't the best shooter in the world, having only learned how to do it a few weeks ago. Still he was within easy range and Orochimaru's back had been turned towards her.

Sasuke had to be hearing things. That couldn’t possibly be Hinata. She had no idea he was down here. She didn’t know how to shoot a gun. And she definitely wouldn’t be stupid enough to throw herself into a situation this dangerous, right!?

"AHHH!" Orochimaru sinks to his knees in pain, holding one of them. Blood splashed on the floor from a bullet wound. "DAMN IT!" Apparently, yes she would be that stupid.

Hinata…she was here. Sasuke struggles against the restraints, his eyes darting into the shadows, searching for his lover. She had to get out of here, quickly! Kabuto was still here, and Sai, and if either of them heard that gunshot, which they most certainly should have, she would be dead in less than a minute!

Hinata seemed to realize the same thing, she rushes over to him and fires off a second shot. This one at Orochimaru's lung. "We've got to get you out of here!" She says as as she furiously tries to undo the restraints.

"I WON'T L-LET YOU RUIN MY LIFE'S W-WORK!" Orochimaru glares at her as he tries not to choke on his own blood, trying his best to stand.

Sasuke feels the first restraint loosen enough for him to break it. Enhanced strength. Nice. He pulls the gag from his mouth and takes a deep breath, rather than the difficult shallow ones the gag forced him to take. “Hinata, what the hell are you doing here?” His fingers go to work loosening the restraint on his other wrist.

She tries to help him with the other restraint. "Getting you out of here." She gives him a dirty look for asking such a ridiculous question. "Come on!"

She bites her lower lip. Hinata could hear footsteps. "Damn it. They're coming." She clutches her gun in one hand tightly as she keeps one of her eyes on Orochimaru and the other on Sasuke, trying desperately to loosen his restraints, but she was no soldier.

As soon as the restraint is loose enough, Sasuke breaks it and sits up, snatching the gun from Hinata. “You loosen the rest, I’ll shoot.” He was, after all, a much better shot than she was. If anyone came through that door, they were dead.

Hinata nods as she tries to focus on getting the other restraints off of him. That's when Orochimaru gets up and tries to make a grab for Hinata. "KABUTO! SAI! I NEED YOUR HELP!" The sounds of the footsteps were growing closer and closer.

As soon as Kabuto rounds the corner, there is a single gunshot, and the doctor drops to the floor. Sasuke’s face is cold and hard as he hears Sai take cover. “I suggest that you leave, or you’ll get the same as him.”

"KABUTO!" Orochimaru screams for his friend, but then starts choking more on his own blood. The gunshot to his lung was definitely doing it's job. Blood was pouring out of his mouth and out of the wound itself.

Sai's eyes narrow. "It's a fifty-fifty chance." Dark red blood was now oozing on the floor as Orochimaru struggles to remain conscious and Hinata watches in horror. "Do you really want to take those odds, especially when you're partially restrained?"

Sai could run. He knew that, but he also knew that the police would be after him. If he ran off and Sasuke was still alive or even Hinata, he was going to be reported. He had no option, but to kill them both. Loose ends could be fatal.

“Are you so sure I’m restrained?” Sasuke could feel the restraints around his legs coming loose. Loose enough for him to break. “And your employer is about to die. If he hasn’t already paid you, he’s not going to get the chance. And if he has, there’s no point sticking around anyway.”

"We both know that you'd report me to the authorities." Sai keeps his gun steady. "You're not just going to let me off that easily." Hinata gulps as she watches anxiously, but that's when she swore she saw a flash of silver out of the corner of her eye and all Hell broke loose.

Into the room, each with a gun raised to eye level, came three agents, one officer, and one colonel, all with their eyes trained on the half-hidden hitman, the dead doctor, and the twisted genius bleeding out on the floor.

Yahiko’s eyes widen. This…was not the kind of scene that he was expecting. “Are you two alright?”

Sasuke nods. “No injuries just yet.” But with backup here, Sasuke felt no need to keep a gun on Sai any longer. “Kakashi, you’re not going to court-martial me for what I’m about to do, right?”

Kakashi grins cheerfully. "It's self-defense. I can hardly court-martial you for freeing yourself from your kidnappers, who already shot at you and were holding you here against your will." After all, even the Army made exceptions. "Though Hinata, you may wish to avert your eyes. This is not a scene for a lady to see." He was more than half certain Sasuke might literally blow Orochimaru's brains out.

“Come here…” Sasuke wraps his right arm around Hinata, turning her away from Orochimaru, who still clung to life like some kind of desperate bug. “You spent a year trying to break me, turn me into some kind of monster.” He clicks the gun, pointing it straight between Orochimaru’s eyes. “The first question you asked me…was who I am.” His finger goes to the trigger. “Captain Sasuke Uchiha, United States Armed Forces.” He pulls it, and there’s a deafening bang as what’s left of Orochimaru’s head hits the floor.

Hinata hadn't had any time to protest as Sasuke turned her around to shield her from what was likely going to be a very ugly view. She heard the gun go off, but she didn't see the bullet slam between Orochimaru's eyes. She did hear his half choked and strangled scream though. It only lasted for a second or two, but she knew that she would remember it for the rest of her life.

"And I’m his brother." Itachi fires off his own weapon, straight at Sai. "Now, go to Hell." BANG. Off the bullet went, straight to the heart. "I wasn't going to top that introduction. So I thought it was best to get to the point." He smiles. "I feel better now. What about everyone else?"

Naruto grimaces at the sight of Sai’s body. “That’s…going to be a lot of paperwork.” The guy must have infiltrated the station to get access to Sasuke. After all, Sasuke knew to trust that a badge meant an ally.

"Paperwork?!" Hinata turns around incredulously and gapes at Naruto. "THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE WORRIED ABOUT?!" Unbelievable!

Naruto glances at Sasuke, who raises his eyes from the newest corpse. “Well, I told him to leave. It’s not my fault he didn’t take my advice.” He kind of appreciated Naruto’s snark. It made him feel less…well, it made it feel less like he was about to go through a year of hell again.

“Right, because you give the greatest advice.” The blond cop grins, tossing Sasuke his bag with spare clothes in it. “I owe you a few smacks later.”

“Yeah…” Sasuke almost smiled, but his eyes found Orochimaru’s corpse again, and his eyes darken, growing cold and apathetic. He pulls on a clean shirt and jacket, his shoulder still stinging from where it was shot right through.

Itachi sighs. "Well at least it's over." The other Uchiha looks around as if expecting someone else to pop out. "I think. Hopefully, paperwork is going to be the most fearsome opponent any of us ever faces again."

Sasuke nods, sliding off the table and landing unsteadily on his feet. The impact hurts, and his head spins a little. “Ugh…must have used a triple dose…” He hated being sedated.

Hinata quickly leans against him. "They actually operated on you, didn't they?" A triple dose probably meant anesthesia.

Sasuke cringes at the thought, but he was pretty sure he knew what the shot was for. “Kabuto must have taken the bullet out of my back. Took the chance to tie me down.” He couldn’t feel the bullet anymore. His back hurt, but Orochimaru did say that the bullet was gone. He had no reason not to believe him.

"Well at least the bullet is out." She sighs. "Though I'd still rather have Tsunade have a look at you. Bullet wounds aren't really my area of expertise."

Well, Sasuke wasn’t really in any shape to protest. And he doubted that he could limp his way out of the hospital without Tsunade finding out anyway. Besides, someone had to tell her that Orochimaru was dead. “Fine.”

Hinata raises an eyebrow. "And don't give me, fines!" She leads him off in a huff. "You are in very big trouble! You almost gave me a heart attack!"

“Says the one who rushed into hostile territory out-manned and outgunned.” Sasuke glares half-heartedly at her. “You could have gotten yourself killed. You almost DID.”

"Hmpf!" Hinata half drags him back upstairs to Tsunade, while muttering things like, "Who was the one who shot Orochimaru first and loosened your restraints?" Though she made sure the blond didn't hear that.

"What the Hell happened?" Tsunade blinks as she begins examining Sasuke. "Is that...it looks like someone just removed a bullet from you!"

“Because Kabuto just DID.” Though Sasuke was sure that the inside was already healing under the stitches. “Turns out that he was one of the ones holding me the year I was gone.” Best to get it out quickly. “Does the name Orochimaru sound familiar?”

Tsunade blink. "Yes, we went to medical school together." She gasps as she processes that. "Kabuto held you captive for a year and removed a BULLET from you?!" She covers her mouth in horror, before moving her hand enough to speak. "Where is he?"

“Downstairs with Orochimaru and the hitman who put the bullets in me in the first place.” Sasuke shifts uncomfortably, showing her the marks on his shoulder. “There’s two CIA agents, one FBI agent, one police officer, and my commanding officer down there as well. Three casualties.”

Hinata shoots Tsunade a sympathetic look. She knew that this was a lot to take in. Hell, she barely understood everything.

"Who were the casualties?" Tsunade was almost afraid to ask. "Was one of them Orochimaru?" If it was, she didn't know how to feel about that. Such a waste.

“…” Sasuke fixes his gaze on a single spot across the room. “Three hostile casualties, no injuries sustained to allies.”

The blond doctor sighs as she looks away and tries to collect herself. "Sadly, that doesn't surprise me. For now, Let's focus on your injuries." Orochimaru would still be dead whether she grieved now or a few hours from now.

“Yes Ma’am.” Sasuke sits still, his mind going a mile a minute. “…You know that there’s going to be a trial, right?” For the accomplices involved in the abduction and torture, anyway. Not the ringleaders who now lay dead. “The details of…what occurred won’t be kept quiet.”

"Of course, I know there will be a trial. " She sighs as she thoroughly examines him. "There has to be some kind of justice served for what happened to you." Tsunade pauses as she finishes her once over. "I'll run a scan just to be sure that no traces of the bullet are still in your system, but at first glance...they did a thorough job removing it."

Not that Sasuke doubted Kabuto would be anything but thorough. “…It’s not about the justice. I know that you and Orochimaru were…acquaintances when you were younger, but you’ll likely hear about the things he did.” It was best that she be prepared. “It’s worse than just what caused the scars. It may be hard for you to believe.”

Her eyes soften. "Your concern is sweet, but I don't think that I'll watch the trial." Tsunade sighs. "I knew that he was...veering onto the wrong path years ago." She sets up the scan. "I just didn't realize how far off the beaten path he had truly gotten. He's dead, Sasuke. I'll mourn the memory of who he used to be, but I don't need to see what he turned into."

Of course she didn’t. Sasuke nods. “Still…be prepared for what you might hear.” It wasn’t going to be easy for anyone to hear. Which reminded him that he was going to have to keep Itachi far away from any recordings of the trial, not to mention the live streams of it. That wasn’t going to be easy.

"I'm aware, Sasuke." She sighs. "I know that I can't hide from it completely, but I’m not going to subject myself to it directly."

“Good.” He didn’t want to subject anyone to the details, but it was far out of his hands. “Are you going to keep me overnight, or can I go home?” Sasuke was just so…tired of everything.

"Well as far as I can tell, you're fine." Tsunade shakes her head. "But do stay in bed and try not to move more than you have to. You just had a bullet removed, and you don't want to open up your stitches!"

“It’s mostly healed already.” Sasuke knew that much. After all, part of the experiments involved making him heal faster.

Hinata swats him lightly. "No reason to take chances!" Tsunade nods in agreement.

Sasuke rolls his eyes exasperatedly. “I’ll probably have Itachi breathing down my neck for the next week, so I don’t really consider it to be ‘taking a chance’.”

"I'll be breathing down your neck a lot longer than that." Hinata crosses her arms and tries to look intimidating.

Sasuke resists the urge to laugh at the face his lover makes. Still, this was something that they’d definitely have to talk abut later. “Naruto picked up my motorcycle, right?” He’d left his bag there, so either Naruto rode it when Sasuke had expressly told him not to, or he’d at least seen it and probably called someone up to take care of it.

His bike?! "I'm not sure and really, I think that's the least of your worries right now." Men! She'd never understand them. First, Naruto whining about paperwork and now, Sasuke was worried about his bike!

Sasuke shakes his head. “I would rather focus on one of the small worries, like making sure my bike is alright so that I can ride it home.” Duh.

"You are not riding that bike home!" Hinata flails. "I'll drive you." That bike was a death trap! A death trap!

He sighs at the panic in his lover’s eyes. “I’ve done worse than riding a motorcycle with a bullet wound.” Sasuke had actually once scaled a cliff with four bullets stuck in him, but…that might be too much information.

"You set foot on that damn bike before you're fully recovered and the bike will be the only thing you're riding for a good long while!" She was putting her foot down!

And with that, Sasuke shut his trap. Women could be so unreasonable sometimes. He was almost fully recovered already. There was no need for Hinata to freak out. Besides, this was part of his job, unless she’d suddenly forgotten that he was in the military.

Hinata smiles, feeling rather pleased with herself. "Good." She snuggles to him. "I just don't want to lose you, especially not from something preventable."

Sasuke sighs, leaning his head against her shoulder. “I’ve survived so far. Try to have a little more faith in me.” He’d survived a lot, more than anyone could really expect of him. He could survive a ride on a motorcycle.

"I know." She sighs as she looks at him and wraps her arms around his neck. "It's just really tempting to have you not leave my bedroom again." She didn't want to say the phrase lock you up. That might not end well.

Sasuke smirks at that. “You mean lock me up in your room where you’ll be able to keep an eye on me twenty-four seven.” Yeah, he could still read between the lines.

She blushes, but nods. "Like I said, it's tempting." Hinata rests her head on his shoulder. "I'm sure we could find ways to keep you entertained."

“Well, I’ve got a month before going back on duty.” Sasuke could think of a lot of ways they could make use of time before then.

"Well we could make good use of that month." She cuddles to him. "And let's...not tell your parents about the bullet."

“Agreed.” That would just be a bad idea for so many reasons. “The less they know about what happened, the better.” And Sasuke was certainly not going to tell them that Hinata had very nearly murdered someone.

"I'm just glad that it's finally over." Hinata smiles as she leads him to the elevator and eventually to her car. "Do you want me to drive you to Itachi's or my place?" She looks at him.

Well, Itachi was probably going to kill him later for being stupid enough to fall into a trap. So Sasuke would rather avoid that for a while, if possible. “Your place is fine. I can wait a day for Itachi to lecture me about getting drawn into traps.”

"Alright. My place it is then." She smiles and gets in the car with him, driving them home. "So I guess this is as close as we'll get to riding a white horse off into the sunset?"

“The sun is always setting somewhere.” And Sasuke had seen a lot of different kinds of sunsets. “It’s always rising somewhere too.”

She shakes her head. "You're being way too literal." She kisses his cheek as she continues driving.

A few minutes later, they arrive at her home and she unlocks the door. She smiles at him and heads inside. Walking slowly and deliberately, swaying her hips to tease him.

Sasuke suppresses a groan at the sight of her saunter as he follows her inside. “You’re a terrible tease, you know that?” And she told him not to ride the motorcycle. Which did she consider more strenuous? Probably equally so.

"Not really." She tilts her head back at him, feigning innocence. "All I'm doing is walking?" Hinata smiles sweetly at him.

Sasuke growls lowly. “If I wasn’t still working sedatives out of my system and getting over two bullet wounds, I’d show you just how much of a liar you are.”

Hinata fake a gasp. "Princesses do not lie, my good sir!" She laughs and smiles. "It must be the sedatives. You're hallucinating."

“Maybe it’s you who needs punishing instead of me.” Sasuke smirks, leaning over her as he lightly pins her against the wall. “Princesses can lie, it’s their knights who aren’t permitted to.”

"I don't remember reading that in the rules." Hinata blushes and squeaks at being pinned. "What else does my knight think?" There was really something excited about being pinned by Sasuke, even if it was just in a playful way.

“I think…that regretfully, your knight has been rather bad, getting himself into trouble left and right.” Sasuke smiles a little painfully, but a little mischievously as well.

Hinata nods. "My knight should stop doing that." She kisses him on the nose.

The gesture makes Sasuke smile. “It seems as though my princess has elected not to put me in the stocks for my bad behavior.”

"Oh believe me, the Princess did consider it." She nods seriously. "Many, many times, but I am a merciful princess."

“I’m glad for your mercy.” Sasuke teases her with a brush of the lips. “Then will it be the dungeon or the tower?”

She smiles. "The tower for now." Hinata gives him a mock serious look. "Unless the knight behaves poorly again. Then it's off to the dungeon."

Locked in the tower with the pretty princess. He could live with that. “Then I will strive not to end up in the dungeon too soon.”

Hinata smiles and leads him upstairs. "Good. You could use some rest and the princess has missed the warmth of your embrace."

Sasuke chuckles as she pulls him into her room. The familiar place had a soothing atmosphere, and it both felt and smelled like her. Lavender and vanilla. “And your knight has missed the comfort of his princess’ presence.” It really did help to drive the nightmares away.

She smiles and pushes him onto the bed, making quick work of his pants and shirt. "Good. I haven't been sleeping well since all this started and I guess i got spoiled before." Hinata kicks off her doctor's uniform, leaving only a light blue lacy bra and matching set of panties on. "Sleeping with you all the time. It's nice to wake up next to someone."

Sasuke blinks at the lingerie. And here he’d been working under the assumption that she was going to deny him all night, and probably for a week, until she was satisfied that he was recovered. “Does this mean you’d like me to be your alarm clock tomorrow?” He raises an eyebrow, smirking slightly.

Hinata squeaks and blushes. "Maybe, if that isn't too strenuous for my knight." She snuggles close to him. "Though I wasn't going to expect such things until you were fully recovered, of course."

“Of course…” Damn it. Sasuke wraps an arm around her, pulling the covers over them in the process. He could handle snuggling for now. But he was going to have a painful case of morning wood by the time he woke up, he just knew it.


	34. Chapter 34

Two weeks…two weeks into active duty, and Sasuke felt like he’d never left. The paperwork was a pain, but at least he got to be with his friends every day without the threat of a bullet ending up in someone’s brain.

Now, if only someone would get a certain annoying FBI agent out of his office. “Itachi…please remind me what you’re DOING here.” It felt like his older brother was in here every day to check up on him. Maybe because…he WAS.

"Oh well I'm just enjoying spending time with my favorite brother." He smiles. "Well that and I usually eat lunch with Kakashi and I can't lie, I don't want to miss today's show. It's a very big day!"

Show? Sasuke raises an eyebrow. “First, I’m your only brother, that makes me your favorite by default. Second, don’t use hanging out with me as an excuse to drag Kakashi off for an early lunch. Third, what show are you talking about?”

"It still counts." Itachi chuckles. "Besides, why shouldn't I hang out with you and enjoy time with Kakashi?" He smiles at the last part. "You'll see. This one has been a long time in the making. I hope you got the popcorn ready, because like I said this is going to be one Hell of a show." Itachi gestures for Sasuke to follow him to the barracks.

Sasuke rolls his eyes and follows Itachi out the door of his private office. He didn’t really know why they were leaving the building, even less so why they were heading to the barracks. Were the soldiers up to something?

They must have been because there was a lot of laughter going on and Sasuke could now see that Karin was being led inside the barracks by Suigetsu. The red head was wearing a blindfold. "As I said, this is going to be good." Itachi smirks.

Sasuke blinks as he takes in the odd sight. What the hell were those two up to? “Should I be worried about whether the building is going to need repairs after this?” After all, keeping Fort Hamilton intact was part of his job, as delegated to him by Kakashi.

"Possibly." Itachi smiles as he watches Karin get escorted inside. "I think it's romantic myself." Suigetsu had lit a lot of candles and there was some romantic, but highly suggestive music playing. On the walls were a lot of pictures of Karin and Suigetsu, going all the way back to high school. "He's proposing."

“Pro-” Sasuke’s eyes widen as the word dies in his throat. No wonder the barracks were decorated like it was someone’s prom night. Wait…didn’t this look like THEIR prom night? He’d skipped it, but from the pictures Naruto showed him…

Yep. It was just like their prom night. "Suigetsu, what is with the damn blindfold and why is everyone laughing? And do you smell fire?" Karin was obviously starting to get twitchy.

"I thought it was more romantic." He smiles and undoes the blindfold. "Everyone is laughing because they know that I’m about to make a big clown out of myself." He gets on one knee. "Though that's okay. I don't care. Just as long as I have my sexy banshee with me." He beams and takes out a golden wedding ring with a large white pearl in the center of it. "Will you marry me?"

Sasuke brings his palm to his face. Seriously? He was calling the woman he was proposing to a banshee!? At least the ring was nice. But…a sexy banshee? Really? “He can’t be serious…”

“You idiot!” Karin’s cheeks go bright red and her fingers go to her glasses as she turns up her nose. “What kind of proposal is that, you waterlogged fish for brains!?”

“Here it comes…” Sasuke knew where this was going.

And just as Sasuke expected, Karin grabs Suigetsu by the collar, dragging him up off his knee and into a kiss, not caring in the slightest that the entire platoon and then some are watching.

Suigetsu laughs and kisses back. "A one of a kind proposal!" He gives his fellow soldiers a thumbs up. "For my one of a kind lady!" The military officer grins.

“Oh just shut up, put the ring on me and kiss me you idiot!” Karin holds out her hand expectantly. “If you hurry, we can sneak off before Major Pole Up His Butt bursts a blood vessel.”

He laughs more and places the ring on her finger. "Yeah! We should hurry!" Suigetsu kisses her quickly.

Sasuke’s eye twitches. “Well, Itachi did promise a show…” He was tempted to club both of them over the head for being such idiots. But…he couldn’t bring himself to be mad at the happy couple. The happy engaged couple. Engaged…to be married… Yeah…that was going to take some getting used to. “I am not babysitting the demon children.”

Sugietsu squeaks. "Oh hey, there." He gulps nervously. "Hiya, Sassy!" He tries his best to look innocent. "Didn't notice you there..."

“Itachi dragged me over here for the show.” Sasuke shoots them a pointed look. “And stop calling me that where the other platoons can hear, you idiot.”

"Hey, stop calling him an idiot!" Karin protests and flails.

Suigetsu smirks. "That's right and you're still Sassy." He smiles smugly. "Deal with it."

"He may be an idiot, but he's MY idiot!" The red head continues flailing.

Suigetsu nods his head quickly. "That's right!" Then he facefaults. "Karin!" He whines at the second part, prompting many laughs from the audience.

“Well, you’re not stuck to each other yet. You still have to say ‘I do’.” Sasuke shakes his head at them. “Maybe you’ll actually make it to the altar before killing each other.”

Karin sticks her tongue out him. "So mean!" She looks at Suigetsu. "We should punish him and make him our children's godfather for that."

Oh please no. She couldn’t be serious. Sasuke pales at the thought of having to deal with the hyper, annoying, borderline insane children that would inherit genes from the banshee and the merman. “You’re not serious.”

"Yeah!" Suigetsu puffs up. "She's totally serious. So you better be nice to us or else." He smirks.

“Well, I suppose that someone is going to have to be responsible for them…” Maybe Sasuke could just stick them somewhere when they got old enough so that he could actually focus on getting some work done instead of entertaining them for hours. They could learn how to be patient and quiet, not something that the two idiots would think to teach them.

Karin shakes her head. "You're such a dad already." She laughs. "You're gonna turn into Fugaku before you know it."

Now that was a terrifying thought, turning into Fugaku. That was not the kind of father Sasuke wanted to turn into. “I’m not a ‘dad’ Karin. And I’m definitely not getting any parenting tips from Father.” Nope, not happening. If he ever had children, he would be a whole lot warmer to them than Fugaku was to him. Not that that was hard. The man was glacial.

"Yes, you are." She rolls her eyes affectionately. "Always scolding us, but with love."

“Alright, fine, now either get back to work, or leave and get to planning your wedding.” Sasuke wasn’t sure how much longer he could take the weird-ass lovey-dovey atmosphere.

Suigetsu grins and drags Karin off. "See you in a bit!" He smirks. "We have an awesome wedding to plan!"

At least that would quiet them down. “And why exactly did you drag me off to see this spectacle?” Sasuke glares irritably at his brother. “I’m going to have a headache for weeks thanks to these two. They’re never going to shut up about it.”

"Oh come on." Itachi smiles. "It was amusing and you know it." He smirks. "A once in a lifetime event."

“I guess, after all, I don’t see you propositioning my colonel.” Sasuke scoffs, turning the conversation back around. That would get Itachi off his back.

"Our relationship is still in the relatively early stages." Itachi shrugs. "And I'm not entirely sure what his views on the institution are."

“I suppose that’s fair.” After all, Sasuke had seen Suigetsu and Karin going at each other since…well, at least the academy, but they had tension in middle and high school as well. So who really knew how long this had been going on.

He chuckles. "Besides, Hinata was willing to shoot someone for you." If that wasn't love, he didn't know what was. "Which is rather romantic in a morbid way. Of course, no one expects you to propose for awhile given...everything that's happened."

Well, that sure made Sasuke uncomfortable. “…If it happens, it’ll happen when it’s the right time.” There, nice and ambiguous.

"Of course." He pats Sasuke on the shoulder. "I understand."

Like hell Itachi understood. He wasn’t dating a civilian who shouldn’t have to deal with the kind of issues that they dealt with on a daily basis. He just…didn’t want to drag Hinata too far into a world that she was ill-equipped and ill-prepared for. “Anyway, I have to get back to work. Go and have lunch with Kakashi.” Sasuke looks his brother up and down carefully. “And if I hear another proposal today, I’m going to smack both of you.”

He chuckles. "It'd almost be worth proposing, just to see your reaction." Itachi turns to head off. "But no. Not today." And with that, he slinks off.

Sasuke curses under his breath. “Sadistic bastard.”

* * *

 

After using the spare keys to get into Hinata’s house, Sasuke had busied himself with filling the kitchen with the smell of Thai food. Chicken and rice with a sweet and spicy glaze. Sweet enough for Hinata, but not too sweet for him.

Hinata finally comes home a short while later. "Sasuke?" It was about a fifty-fifty chance that he was there or working late at the base, but that's when she smells food and smiles. "You made dinner?" She heads to the kitchen.

“Sweet and spicy chicken and rice.” With plenty of vegetables, of course. Sasuke smirks as he hears her enter the kitchen. “I knew you had a long shift today, so I snuck in to cook dinner before you got home.”

"Such a romantic." She giggles and walks over to him, kissing his cheek. "That sounds and smells amazing."

“Only for you.” He returns the favor and kisses her forehead as he takes the food off the stove. “Your timing is perfect, though, I was just finishing up.”

She giggles. "Mmm that is usually how it goes and not just when it comes to cooking." Hinata smiles slyly.

Sasuke rolls his eyes and huffs sheepishly. He really wished that she wouldn’t be like that in the kitchen. It made him want to do things that would inevitably lead to the food getting cold. And she knew that. Such a cruel tease… “How about we eat before you try to seduce me for the evening?” He plates the food quickly, turning off everything, just to make sure, before carrying the plates out to the table.

"Eating is good." She smiles at him more. "But there is no trying, only doing when it comes to seducing you." She sits down and begins enjoying her nice, romantic meal with him.

A chuckle escapes him as he tucks into the meal. “Yes, my naughty princess does seem to enjoy doing many things with me.” And he just couldn’t help but let her get away with it all, because usually, it ended with hot sex, but sometimes a very cruel tease. And this past month and a half, it had been the latter. Punishment for keeping secrets from her and nearly getting himself killed, after successfully getting kidnapped. His princess could be vengeful when she wanted to be.

Hinata blushes and nods. "Yes, she does." She smiles and places her hand on his thigh under the table. "You've completely corrupted me."

Sasuke represses the twitch that shoots through him. God did Hinata make it hard to eat. “Well, then I guess that calling me your white knight isn’t quite accurate. Do you prefer a black knight instead?”

"Maybe Knight in Shining Armor is more accurate." She pauses as she smiles. "That suggestion has a pretty dark connotation to it and shining doesn't necessarily have to be white armor."

Oh, now she was getting technical? Sasuke shakes his head in amusement. In any case, she didn’t usually get so frisky until after they left the dinner table behind. “Did something good happen today?”

She nods. "I came home to my gorgeous boyfriend, who made me a nice dinner." Hinata smiles as she eats. "So yes."

“Sounds nice, is he usually such a good boyfriend?” Sasuke had to fight down the smirk as he asked THAT question. He was playing a dangerous game and he knew it. I was just so much fun to play with Hinata. Even when he lost, which wasn’t often, it was still fun. Screw shy and proper, this woman was obviously too much for most people to handle.

"Well there have been occasions, where I have thought about strangling him." Hinata sighs dramatically. "But he tries to be and he makes for an excellent alarm clock."

Okay, maybe a hint of a smirk was appropriate. How could he not be smug hearing THAT. “Well, it’s good that he makes for such a good alarm clock. But if you’re tempted to strangle him, then maybe he needs a to hear a stronger message. Maybe something a little…different, something you could enjoy yourself with.”

She smiles and massages his thigh a bit. "Well I have a few ideas." Hinata pauses for a moment as if giving the matter great thought. "But I’m not sure that he's ready for them."

Sasuke take in a sharp breath as he glances at his nearly clean plate. “I think…that you could be rather persuasive if you wanted to be. And…maybe he’s stronger then you think he is.”

"Well...Naruto was generous enough to allow me use of his squad car and I have a new pair of fuzzy handcuffs..." She smiles.

Sasuke seriously doubted that Naruto knew just what Hinata wanted with the squad car. The idiot would never let her anywhere near it if he knew. “It sounds like someone is rather eager.” He shifts closer to her, his breath ghosting over her ear. I’m almost tempted to call you a nymph. Or maybe a succubus suits you better.”

Hinata shivers. "Succubus seems rather mean, don't you think?" She blushes. "They suck their lovers dry and usually kill them." The bluenette could feel goosebumps forming on her arms in anticipation. "M-Maybe nymph would be b-better, but you did seem to really like the idea of the squad car." She pauses. "I told Naruto that you just wanted to drive it, that you always wanted to play cop."

Play cop? Really? “See? You’re a naughty princess after all, Nymph. Lying to Naruto like that…” He nibbles on her ear, pulling her from her seat and into his lap. “What ever should I do with you?”

"It wasn't really a lie." She shivers and blushes as he nibbles on her ear. "I mean, you are going to play cop in a way."

Sasuke chuckles at her embarrassment. “Is that why you arrived back when you did? You were picking up the squad car?”

Hinata nods. "Yes, I was getting the car." She smiles at him. "Of course, I do understand if my knight isn't feeling up to performing such strenuous activities."

Sasuke’s eye twitches. “Last I checked, it was a certain princess who was insisting on almost a month of constant bed rest.” Okay, maybe an exaggeration, but only just. And it was bed rest without the fun part. His hands move to squeeze her backside. “I’m more than fully recovered, and you know it.” And despite his frustration, he’d been a gentleman the whole time. Well, almost the whole time. He had woken her up a few times with a rather special surprise.

She smiles and kisses him. "Well I would be a very bad princess, if I didn't ensure the safety and well-being of my knight." Hinata breaks the kiss and caresses his cheek. "But if you feel that you're fully recovered...perhaps, you'd like to prove it?"

A smirk curls Sasuke’s lips, and the blood starts migrating south. “I think I could do that. But you’re going to have to lead the way to the car, or I’m going to have to resist the urge to prove it on the kitchen counter.” Because honestly, he doubted that the expensive table could handle it.

"Come with me." She giggles as she takes hold of his hand and leads him outside to the car, well more specifically the garage with the police car inside it. "In more ways than one, of course."

“Of course…” His smirk only grows when he sees his best friend’s squad car. “And I presume…” He reaches into her jacket pocket, chuckling when he finds when he was looking for. Fuzzy handcuffs. “Of course you would keep them in there. Eager, were you?” He kisses her hotly, wrapping his arms tightly around her.

She kisses back with a now rosy red blush staining her cheeks. "Well the princess has missed the comfort of her knight's...embrace." And almost everything else. Though she certain did appreciate his rather unique way of waking her up. "So I thought it best to be prepared."

“Did you now?” Sasuke hoists her up onto the hood of the car, leaning towards her as he stuffs the cuffs into his back pocket, his fingers soon working their way under her shirt. “Well, then feel free to surprise me more often. I’m more than willing to reciprocate favors…” He definitely appreciated the blush staining her cheeks. She was even more bashful than usual. Maybe because they were about to do something rather scandalous. Enough to maybe even give her conservative and old-fashioned father a heart attack.

"Yes, I did. And the princess shall take into consideration her knight's chivalrous and accommodating nature in the future." Her face was probably never going to go back to its normal color. Hinata was probably going to be blushing until the day she died at this rate. "Because I certainly do appreciate it." But it was worth it.

“Good, now let’s see you be a naughty princess.” Sasuke’s fingers flick open the buttons of her perfect white shirt before sliding both her shirt and jacket from her shoulders. And he raises an eyebrow at the sight. “White today? So…pure and innocent.” And nothing at all like the real Hinata.

"You don't like it?" She wraps her arms around his neck and kisses him. "And what are you trying to imply, my loyal knight? Do you not view me as pure and innocent?"

Sasuke chuckles and shakes his head, unclasping the bra in an instant. “I think we both know you’re not as pure and innocent as you pretend to be.” Especially not with those plump breasts out on display for him, just waiting for him to wrap his mouth around the rosy nipples. He gives one of them a long, slow lick, before sucking it into his mouth and nipping it firmly.

Hinata gasps and moans. "I'm n-not pretending." She sighs in pleasure as she runs her fingers through his hair. It was shorter than it had been in high school, much shorter, but it was about as long as he could get away with in the army. "You just c-corrupted me is all." Not that she had minded that last part. Her fantasies in high school certainly would have shocked anyone that knew her, but they all paled in comparison to the real thing. Sasuke was willing to try them out with her and then some. "But I like it."

Sasuke half hums in appreciation of the gesture, half chuckles in amusement at her defense, trailing his tongue around a few more times before letting go. “I think you’re the one who corrupted me. Most of my really dirty thoughts only started after those letters.” Not all of them, but…everything involving her. He bends his head back down to apply the same treatment to her other breast, his hand taking over tending to the abandoned one.

"I doubt that." She moans quietly as she squirms against the cool hood of the squad car. "Even the Great Sasuke Uchiha has hormones." She looks up at him with half lidded eyes. "I'm sure you fantasized about cheerleaders like every other teenage boy. Now strip."

Well, according to Naruto, apparently he hadn’t had hormones in high school. He leans away from her, still smirking. “Cheerleaders never did it for me.” First comes the shirt, slowly…tantalizingly. “I prefer the quiet ones, especially my kinky princess.” And off come the pants once his belt drops to the ground. Hm…his belt, maybe if there was a bed frame…

"That's very good to know." She watches him with appreciative eyes as he conducted his little strip tease. "Because I'm afraid when it comes to you, I'm rather jealous. The boxers as well." She nods. "Those have to go too."

“Jealous, hm?” He slides the boxers off just as slowly, stepping out of them, as he’s put on display for his lover. And to tease her further, he turns, leaning down to retrieve the handcuffs he’d put away. “Is my lady satisfied with the inspection, or do you require more time to satisfy yourself?” He leans closer, his hands landing on either side of her, pressing against the hood.

Hinata blushes and shivers again. "I'm very satisfied and I’m sure that I'll be even more so in very short order." She swallows hard. She might have bitten off more than she could chew here. If there was one thing Sasuke apparently excelled at besides academics, it was definitely creativity.

“That’s right, you will be.” Sasuke smirks mischievously as he pushes her hands behind her back, locking her wrists into the handcuffs easily. “Now be a good princess and moan for me. Your voice is so sweet when it moans my name.”

He drifts down her body, his hands quickly and efficiently disposing of her pants, lingering for a moment on the soft, lacy white underwear. So sweet, so pure. And so…wet. Soaking wet as he slides off the lingerie and pulls her legs open. Gently leaning her back, he nudges his way between her legs, wrapping his lips around the pearl that so eagerly awaited him, all swollen and round, and very tempting.

"Ah!" Hinata squirms wildly. "S-Sasuke!" Complying with his request definitely wasn't going to be a problem. The moment she felt his lips there, she was a goner. "R-Right there!" Thank goodness for the cuffs, otherwise Hinata was sure that she would have been sliding all over the place.

Sasuke hums against her, a tune he’d heard a cellist play on one of his mother’s old tapes when he was young. It was some of the only classical music he liked. And it seemed to be doing the trick, because his lover was only getting wetter as he licked and sucked, and started to poke his fingers inside.

Hinata was only vaguely aware that he seemed to be humming an actual song of some kind. " So g-good!" It was almost impossible to focus on anything, but how good his tongue and fingers felt against her. "Ah!" She arches against him desperately, she was so close and he had barely started. "Sasuke! Need you!" She could barely concentrate enough to be coherent. Well there were times when having a genius for a lover came in handy. Hinata was sure he'd understand.

Sasuke chuckles as he removes himself from between her legs, sliding her towards him and pressing his hard, insistent erection between her folds. “Of course, Princess. And I have a promise to keep.” Namely, one of bending her over the squad car.

"Mhm." She pants. "A good knight always keeps his promises!"

Which is precisely what he does as he flips her over, pressing her breasts down against the cold metal as he carefully slides inside her, one of his hands curling around her to continue attending to her clit.

She squirms against the hood of the car and feels her face heat up even more at the lewdness of the position, but she barely had time to process it before he slid deep inside her . "SASUKE!" Making her scream his name as she wiggles back against him wantonly.

As usual, it looked like his princess wanted it less slow and gentle, and more on the wild side. It was part of what drove Sasuke wild about her. She was NOT as delicate as she looked. “That’s right. Teach the neighbors my name.” It’s not as though any of them could see the scandalous position he had her in as he thrust deep inside her, rubbing her vigorously as he steadily built up speed.

She moans and pants. "Sasuke!" Hinata was fairly certain that the neighbors wouldn't be able to hear them through the garage, but at this point...she wouldn't have cared, if they could. "Oh God!" The way he was touching her was driving her mad with desire. She was wet. So wet from his sinfully good touches against her clit and the feeling of him being buried so deep inside her. Repeatedly. "Won't last!" It wouldn't take her much to tumble over the edge at this rate. It just felt too good.

Sasuke was nearly as close as she was, so he pulls his hips back, leaning down as he angles them a little differently, before plunging inside her. He pants hotly in her ear. “Hah…Hina, cum for me.”

"God, yes!" She shivers at the feeling of his hot breath on her ear and at the new angle. "Sasuke!" And she came hard and fast. The neighbors could be damned, if they overheard anything.

Hearing his name echoing off her lips, and feeling her walls tightening all around him, Sasuke couldn’t help but spill his seed right then and there. “Hinata…” He presses closer to her, wrapping his arms around her as he pulls out, un-cuffs her, and sits on the hood of the car, nudging her into his lap. “I love you…so much.” So much that he wasn’t sure if he could stay sane without her.

She cuddles closely to him, trying to catch her breath. "I l-love you too." Hinata rests her head on his shoulder. "Don't ever leave me like that again." She sighs in contentment as she tries to get as close to him as humanly possible while her heart frantically beats as she tries to come down from the high that always accompanied their lovemaking.

He couldn’t lie, and making that promise might end up being one. Still… “They’re gone, I’m not.” For now, that would have to be enough. He hoped…

"Good." She sighs and glances at the car. "We should probably at least wash it or something." It seemed the decent thing to do.

“We can do that later.” For now, Sasuke wanted to get her back upstairs, and maybe…coax her into a round two.

She nuzzles him under the chin. "Yeah. Later." She yawns cutely. "But you know you don't have to lie to me. I"m sure you had to have some sort of fantasy before I came along. Everyone does."

“I guess, a few fleeting ones. But they were childish and irrelevant.” He kisses her hair softly. “I much prefer the ones I’m having now. Mostly involving you prancing naked through the house at all hours of the day, and leaving no space except maybe the tables untouched. They don’t really look strong enough to handle it.”

"Well we could always get stronger tables." Hinata giggles as she smiles at him and caresses his cheek. "And...if my running around the house naked is something that appeals to you, well I might be willing to indulge you." She smiles teasingly.

Sasuke blinks. Really? She was willing to do that? “Well, if you’re willing to indulge it, you won’t hear any protests from me.” Definitely not. That was the kind of fantasy that really made him want to go another round. So, still stark naked, he scoops her into his arms, leaving their clothes behind as he parades her back through the house and up the stairs.

She laughs as she allows him to carry her off. "Well as long as the doors are locked and the curtains are drawn over the windows." Hinata snuggles against his chest. "I don't mind you looking, but I don't really want to give the neighbors an eyeful."

“Good call.” He nudges open the door to her room, his foot closing it behind them as he goes to lay her on the bed. “After all, I may have more self-control than I used to, but I’m still very much the jealous type.” And it would be better for him not to end up in altercations with civilians. He had to set an example.

"I kinda like that you're the jealous type." She smiles up at him. "It means you care. Though I would rather you not end up sending anyone to intensive care."

“I know, and you’re not the only one who would punish me if I did.” He shuddered to think of what Kakashi would do to him. It might almost be worse than Hinata denying him for however long she saw fit. …No, scratch that, nothing Kakashi could do could be worse than that. Short of discharge, but the fool wouldn’t do something like that.

She looks at him in concern. "Sasuke, are you alright?" Hinata looks him up and down. "You shuddered." He wasn't having an attack now, was he?! Normally, the afterglow zone was usually a panic attack free zone. Actually, it always had been to her knowledge.

“Hm?” Sasuke blinks bemusedly. “Is something wrong?”

"Well you shuddered. So I was worried." She kisses his cheek. "I mean it takes a lot to scare you."

Sasuke chuckles and shakes his head. “I was just imagining what you and Kakashi would do to me if I put someone in the hospital in a fit of jealous rage. I had a hard time deciding which punishment would be worse.”

"Oh trust me, I'm much worse than Kakashi." She gives him a stern look. "And don't you forget it. The Princess still has a dungeon."

“And that’s why I decided that short of something he wouldn’t do, nothing he could do to me would be worse than enduring one of your punishments.” Oh yes, he remembered the dungeon threat. He remembered that with vivid detail. And…some fantasy mixed in.

She nods and pulls him down on the bed with her. "Such a smart knight." And with that, Hinata rests her head on his chest and closes her eyes, sighing contentedly.

“I do my best.” Though being a genius only got him so far. His determination got him the rest of the way. He always strove to do his best. “And don’t you forget it.”

Hinata was starting to drift off, but she heard that. "Well I was most pleased with your performance tonight." Her breathing was evening out. Yep. She was going to be out like a light soon.

Sasuke shuts his eyes and holds her close. “And I’ll still be here in the morning when you wake.” After all, he didn’t have to get to the base until nine. He had time to wake her up, shower, and make breakfast before leaving. And not necessarily in that order.

"Good." She yawns cutely as she snuggles more. "I love you." And with that, Hinata falls asleep. Secure in the knowledge that he'd be there when she woke up.


	35. Chapter 35

Sasuke shakes his head at his commander. “I’m so glad you’re on my team for this.” Honestly, he had no idea what he would do if Suigetsu had shown up dressed like a vampire, or heavens forbid a merman. No, there was no way the man was wearing a costume like that to his own wedding.

Besides, if Sasuke had to suffer his service uniform for this, so could Suigetsu. Not that he would wear a tux. No, he’d pick his uniform over a tux any day. Karin, on the other hand…well, Sasuke had no concerns about her fussing over her wedding dress. He’d learned the hard way not to get between a woman and her shopping for the perfect wedding dress. A dress she would only wear once, optimistically. Sasuke thought that the uniform would be more practical over something like that, but he digressed.

Suigetsu glares at Sasuke. "You're such a bastard, Sassy." Honestly, he had had the perfect costume all picked out and then his buddy had to go and ruin it. "I was going to be one badass vampire! Besides, Karin likes being bitten anyway! Or maybe a merman. I had both ready."

“I know, I saw them, that’s why I said no way in hell were you wearing those to your wedding.” Sasuke returns the glare, but…not severely. After all, it was his friend’s wedding.

"Well that's perhaps more information than we really needed to know." Kakashi chuckles as he shakes his head affectionately. "Though honestly, I'm surprised that Suigetsu is getting married before Sasuke."

“That surprises you?” Sasuke raises an eyebrow. “They’ve been all over each other since high school. That’s a whole decade. It’s about time they stopped dancing around and just got hitched.”

"Pft!" Suigetsu rolls his eyes. "We didn't wanna get married too early. I mean now we have to pretend to be responsible some of the time." He wasn't happy about not wearing his costume. "And the costumes were awesome and you know it."

Kakashi glances over at Itachi and smiles at him, before turning his attention back to Sasuke. "Well you've always struck me as the more...traditional type about these sorts of things." He chuckles.

"Or we figured that Hiashi wouldn't approve of you constantly ravishing his daughter without a wedding ring on her finger." Itachi deems it necessary to chime in.

Sasuke twitches, biting his lip as he tries NOT to think about his pocket. “Well, I don’t see either of you popping the question, and you’ve been together almost as long as Hinata and I have.” Though Kakashi was a colonel. Maybe he was just waiting until he retired before getting involved in a gay marriage.

Kakashi rubs the back of his head sheepishly. "Well we haven't known each other as long as you and Hinata have." They did know each other in high school, and vaguely even before that. "Besides, I want the moment to be absolutely perfect." Itachi and Kakashi defend themselves at the same time, causing Suigetsu to burst out laughing.

Sasuke blinks. Well, that was interesting. The information makes him smirk. “I see, so it’s a race to see who finds the perfect moment first. Good luck Kakashi, you’ll need it.”

Suigetsu was still cracking up. "Ah that's hilarious." He laughs. "I can't fucking breathe. Oh my God!"

Kakashi and Itachi give the white haired groom dirty looks. "Grow up. You're getting married today." Itachi rolls his eyes.

“It’s Suigetsu, he’ll never grow up. Somehow, Karin knows that, and is still willing to marry him.”

"Hey! I'm awesome just the way I am." Suigetsu protests in outrage. "And Karin, obviously knows that!"

Sasuke ignores Suigetsu to lean closer to Kakashi, but still whispers loud enough for Itachi to hear it. “Oh, and since you’re waiting for the perfect moment, a word of advice. If you ever tell Itachi that you need a haircut, don’t let him anywhere near clippers. He’s a sadistic bastard.”

Kakashi laughs at that. "I'll be sure to keep that in mind." Though he was quite content with his haircut as it was, wild and untameable.

“Now…as for Mr. Awesome…” Sasuke shoots Suigetsu a pointed look. “Get your ass to the altar or I’ll show everyone the photos of the time Karin took a riding crop to you in the middle of the office.” He’d only taken them for blackmail purposes, and now was the perfect time to use them.

His eyes widened as he rushes over there in a panic. Itachi and Kakashi chuckle at the poor, terrified man's reaction.

Sasuke shrugs. “It got him moving, didn’t it?” What he cared about were results, and making sure that no one got hurt. The only thing those pictures would hurt was Suigetsu’s pride.

"Yes, I suppose that's true." Itachi nods as he looks around and smiles as the flower girl was now bounding down the aisle.

Thankfully for Sasuke, Jugo was filling the position of Best Man. Sasuke knew that if he was the one up there, he’d be strangling Suigetsu by now for something stupid. Best to avoid that problem before it even hit.

Jugo looks rather happy about his position though. "Well it looks like you finally made it down the aisle." He smiles at Suigetsu who just nods.

There was music playing, courtesy of the live band. Thankfully, Jugo had helped t rein in the suggestions, as if Suigetsu had picked on his own, the music would have been wildly inappropriate. Thankfully, they were only subjected to a very spooky version of “Here Comes The Bride”.

And she was coming. Dressed in a floor-length white gown, her long red hair tumbling down her back, instead of braided back for whenever she was in uniform, was Karin. And as her own father had passed, accompanying her was her uncle, the now soon to be retired Police Commissioner, Minato Namikaze.

Suigetsu had been pouting about not being able to wear his costume or pick the music, but that went away when he saw Karin walking down the aisle. In his own very eccentric way, it was obvious the loudmouthed officer really did love the red head. He grins at his bride as she makes her way closer to him.

Karin’s hips sway and she rolls her eyes slightly at Suigetsu’s grin, but she can’t help smiling as well. She had specifically picked the trumpet-bottomed dress in order to show off the curves that Suigetsu enjoyed so much. Picking the dress had been agonizing, but she felt like she was glowing, as a bride should on her wedding day.

Minato smiles as they reach the altar, kissing Karin’s temple before turning to Suigetsu, dropping his voice to a whisper. “Know that if you upset my niece, I have my side-arm in the trunk of my car.”

Suigetsu gulps. "Um yeah." He probably shouldn't be that nervous about the threat. He was a military officer, but fighting with the Police Commissioner wouldn't look good. "Got it. Totally got it." He smiles at Karin. "You look beautiful."

“And you look like something Sasuke dragged in, kicking and screaming.” At least, that’s what she thought, judging by the fact that there was no costume to be seen. Karin was pretty sure it was Sasuke who threatened to torch the costume Suigetsu had lined up. Their fearless leader always did seem to like setting things on fire. Costumes…enemy bases…stacks of love letters in high school…the chemistry lab…oh, wait, that was her stupid cousin.

"Well I wanted to dress up more." Suigetsu sighs dramatically as if it was an incredibly taxing thing to wear his uniform instead of a costume. "But yeah, you know how Sassy is."

Oh yes, Karin knew that. She pushes her glasses up, eyeing her fiance carefully. “Well, you don’t look like an idiot.” Though she had to admit that she’d rather get that uniform off sooner, rather than later.

He smirks at that. "Oh stop with the sweet talk." Suigetsu grins, displaying his sharp teeth. "You're going to make me blush."

Sasuke shakes his head at the two. Honestly, they were in front of a crowd at their wedding. Did they really have to start their strange flirting and foreplay right now? He was tempted to cuff them both over the head, and gag them until they had to say ‘I do’.

Jiraiya smiles as he starts the wedding. "Dearly beloved, we are gathered here to celebrate the wedding or funeral of Suigetsu Hozuki and Karin Uzumaki." He smiles again at the crowd. "If anyone has any reasons to object to this couple other than the fact that we know they will probably liberally abuse the handcuffs on the military base, please speak now or forever hold your peace." He grins cheekily. "I wouldn't recommend it though or the bride and groom might feed you to the zombies."

Hinata tries her best not to giggle at that. She was wearing a lavender shoulderless dress, along with the rest of the bridesmaids and her hair was done up in a bun. "That's Jiraiya for you." She felt more like she was at prom than a wedding, but she wasn't going to complain. She was half amazed that Suigetsu hadn't insisted that she dress up like a sexy kitten or bunny for Sasuke. (Though he had tried, half-heartedly until her father intervened).

On the other side, Sasuke was doing his best not to slam his palm to his face. He didn’t really understand why Naruto’s godfather was officiating the wedding, but apparently he was close enough to the family that Karin was perfectly okay with it. And as expected, Nagato was handing around in the crowd, accompanied by both of his lovers, since this seemed to be a clan event. Seriously, just how many redheads did that family HAVE? Because he was pretty sure that he saw an ancient, but beautiful redheaded Uzumaki woman with the man who had, for a few minutes, been teasing his great uncle Madara.

"It looks like there are no objections." Madara grins, fang-tastically. "Proceed, Jiraiya or else wine won't be the only thing that I'm drinking this evening." The elderly man still somehow presented a rather impressive visual in his Dracula costume and of course, Hashirama had gone as Frankenstein.

"Right." Jiraiya beams. "Continuing on. Do you Karin Uzumaki take Suigetsu Hozuki to be your lawfully wedded corpse, I mean husband. To love, honor, cherish, and to resist the impulse to successfully strangle him for all of your days? To stand by his side in good times and in bad, say when a werewolf is attacking you...for better or for worse, until death do you part?" The elderly man was obviously enjoying hamming it up. He was dressed as an Angel, a fact which was probably going to give Tsunade eyestrain. The woman couldn't stop rolling her eyes at him.

Karin huffs loudly. “Well, a werewolf had better not be stupid enough to attack us. I have my Beretta attached to my garter belt.” Well, to one of them, she’d worn two, just in case. “But yeah, I do.” Or, at least, she’d try to resist the impulse to strangle him. The rest, she could agree to.

Madara blinks at that knowledge. "Back in my day, the biggest concern was a chastity belt." He couldn't believe that brides were actually packing heat at their own weddings now.

"Pft." Izuna snorts in amusement. "You should know. I think you broke about half of them in our town." The pervert. "Though be careful, Suigetsu. That's one gun that you don't want to go off. Aim for the lace! Not the metal!"

Suigetsu laughs and shakes his head. "Um thanks for the concern, but I think that I’ve got this one." He laughs again.

Sasuke wasn’t sure what was worse, his great-uncle’s bad jokes, or his grandfather’s dirty ones. Somehow, Suigetsu and Karin had decided that family included their class, as well as relative…there had to be at least a couple hundred crazy people here.

"Like I said, a wedding or a funeral." Jiraiya chuckles. " Do you Suigetsu Hozuki take Karin Uzumaki to be your lawfully wedded banshee, I mean wife. To love, honor, cherish, and to resist the impulse to successfully strangle her for all of your days? To stand by her time in good times and in bad, say when a goblin attacks you...for better or for worse, until death do you part?" Jiraiya couldn't resist hamming it up some more, it seemed.

Kisame snorts as he swings around his sword playfully. "Remember Suigetsu, make sure to swing your sword the way she prefers." He grins. "That's important on a Honeymoon." He was standing next to the other Groomsmen, dressed up like the scariest blue-skinned pirate ever.

Suigetsu promptly flips off Kisame as he rolls his eyes. “Yeah, yeah, I’m definitely not gonna strangle my sexy banshee.” He grins at the redhead. “I do, alright?”

Naruto tries not to snicker from the front of the crowd, buried in the horde of red. “Good luck with my cousin, she’s not getting any saner!”

Karin shoots her cousin a dirty look. “Can it, Naruto, no one asked you!”

"Then by the power vested in me, I pronounce thee man and Banshee! You may kiss the Bride." Jiraiya laughs.

As soon as the two of them kissed, Sasuke was half expecting them to start ripping each other’s clothes off right then and there. That was definitely not a kiss appropriate for in front of children. Their hands were all over each other. And…was that tongue?

…Definitely tongue.

At some point, Minato's cough stopped the kiss from moving into X Rated Territory and Suigetsu grins. "Right. So time for the garterbelt and the bouquet throwing!" He has Karin sit down and brushes his lips against her ears, so no one else would hear what he was about to say. "Do we have our targets locked and loaded?"

“I have mine in my sights. She’ll never see it coming.” And Karin was confident in her aim as she fingers her bouquet. “And he’s been acting pretty twitchy lately. Any guesses why?”

"No idea. I mean he went through Hell." Suigetsu shrugs. Sasuke would probably still always struggle with PTSD. "I think just you know....stuff left over from his time overseas, but good. I'm sure my Banshee Queen can do it. I just gotta make sure Mr. Twitchy catches the garter belt."

Ah…well, Suigetsu might not have been the brightest bulb in the box, but Karin was pretty sure she knew what was up. “Right, well, I’ll get the kitten, you get Mr. Been Poking The Box In His Pocket For The Last Month.” Seriously, those two needed to just…take the plunge. Regardless, Karin lifts up the side of her dress, exclaiming loudly. “Whoops, wrong one.” She’d accidentally uncovered the garter belt with the gun on it.

…She hadn’t been kidding.

He blinks at the gun. "I thought that was a fucking joke. Never mind." He reaches for the other one as he slowly slides the lacy garment off and throws it at Sasuke. He grins when he helps Karin up and watches the impending chaos in delight. "Well let's see Mr. Boxy dodge that!"

Shocked that Karin had actually come armed to her own wedding, Sasuke never saw the garter belt coming until it smacked him right in the face like a paper wasp. He twitches as he catches it before it drops. “Suigetsu…”

Before Sasuke could make a move for the idiot, Karin tosses her bouquet without a word of warning. “Catch!” And the flick of her wrist sent it flying over the heads of the other bridesmaids, including Ino, and straight at Hinata, her aim good enough to stick the wrapped stems of the flowers right into the valley of her cleavage. Bullseye!

"K-ARIN!" Hinata's face goes bright red as she slides the flowers out of her cleavage. "You did that on p-purpose!" That was so embarrassing!

“Yep!” Karin grins widely, grabbing Suigetsu by the hand and off towards the middle of the crowd. After all, the dancing was due to start right about now. “Enjoy the dance you two!” Maybe now their leader would finally get his butt off the fence.

Sasuke’s eye twitches at Suigetsu. “You two planned this?” He wouldn’t put it past them. They were a couple of idiots, after all.

Hinata's face was still ruby red as she makes her way over to Sasuke and buries it against the crook of his neck. "They had to." She glares at Karin for embarrassing her. "There's no way the flowers would have landed THERE otherwise."

Yeah…if Karin hadn’t been armed, Sasuke would have been sorely tempted to knock her over the head. As it was…well, he’d settle for glaring at the couple that looked far too pleased with themselves. “Sorry about them. They’re a couple of PERVERTS who love messing with people.”

"Oh I don't mind them being perverts." Hinata snuggles to him and whispers into Sasuke's ears. "That would be hypocritical. I just wish that she had aimed the flowers somewhere less awkward."

“Well, Karin wouldn’t be acting like herself if she didn’t manage to cause at least one awkward scene.” Sasuke knew that more than well enough. It was one of the things that annoyed him the most about his teammate. Still… “Come on. I guess we’re supposed to dance now.” It had been so long since he last danced…high school, maybe? Or…no, some kind of event that Kakashi had made him go to? Well, it’s not like he forgot how, it was just…really weird to think that he was finally going to dance with Hinata. There had been one point where he thought he’d get to dance with her. But that was before the mix-up was revealed.

Hinata nods and smiles. "That is tradition." She smiles more and wraps her arms around his neck. "You know, I don't think that we've ever actually danced before in the regular sense." If one considered sex a dance, well then yeah...they had danced with each other a lot. Enough to make ballerinas look like amateurs actually.

“No, we haven’t.” And to be honest, Sasuke would have preferred dancing with Hinata to dancing with random women whose names he didn’t even remember anymore. “Never got the chance to.” After all…she dated Naruto in senior year. Sasuke never had a shot.

"Well we've got a chance to correct that now." She smiles and kisses his cheek as she sways to the music with him.

Sasuke smiles softly, his arms wrapping more tightly around her waist as the slow, almost spooky music plays. Out of the corner of his eye, he can see Jugo dancing with the Maid of Honor. Ino. Well, that was an interesting development. Then again, Jugo did rather like plants and small animals. Ino ran a flower shop, and one could argue that she sometimes acted like a small animal.

Still, the smell of vanilla and lavender smothers his senses, making it impossible to notice anything beyond the woman in his arms. Though his thoughts trail to the flat square box lying hidden in his pocket.

Hinata twirls around with him. "Shame we haven't done this before. You are a very good dancer." She laughs. "Better than Naruto, actually. He always stepped on my toes."

“Well, I did have to learn to dance young for whatever formal functions I would eventually be expected to attend.” Sasuke steps carefully, releasing her from the tight embrace long enough to spin her gracefully around, before pulling her back into his arms. “But I’m sure you know all about that.”

"Yes, father made it mandatory to take some classical dancing lessons." She sighs and shakes her head. "They weren't...very useful in high school. Not…well, you know..." Slutty enough. "cool enough."

“Well, I much prefer that you keep the ‘cool dancing’ for when we’re alone.” Sasuke enjoyed making it known that Hinata was his, as much as any Uchiha liked marking their territory. But some things were just too much to show to others, lest you risk the wrath of a jealous lover.

She smiles as she dances with him. "I'll keep that in mind." Hinata glances up at him. "Though there is something that I need to tell you later."

Something to tell him? Sasuke found that a little odd, but he brushes away any trace of worry. After all, Hinata would not be smiling if she was worried. “Alright, the obligatory dance is almost over anyway.” Besides, he had something he needed to ask her. If he didn’t, it would probably slowly drive him insane. Plus…Suigetsu HAD thrown him the garter belt.

"Good." She burrows closer to him. "It's good news." Well it was to her. She wasn't really sure how Sasuke would feel about it. "At least I think so..." He was doing so much better these days though. It was almost like he had never been a POW in the first place. Maybe, he'd be okay with it.

“Well, if it’s good news, then I can’t complain about that.” And if she was this happy about it, maybe he could take advantage of her good mood. “Want to go outside? My grandfather has a garden that even a queen would envy.”

She smiles. "That sounds like a good idea and I’m glad you feel that way." Hinata walks off with him, the cool evening air still warm enough for her dress.

The garden stretches out around them, hedges made of rose bushes circling the entire area, and wild designs of bright and beautiful flowers spiraling across the ground. Sasuke takes Hinata by the hand, guiding her down the stone walkway to a small sitting area. “There’s also something that…I’ve been waiting for the right time to ask, but with my brother bugging me about it, not to mention Kakashi, Suigetsu, Naruto…” And basically EVERYONE! “I just hadn’t found a good opportunity.” He kisses her hand softly, smiling a little nervously.

"You were right." It really was beautiful here. "This place is like something out of a fairy tale." Hinata smiles at him. "Whatever it is, you don't have to be so nervous about it." She was the one that should be nervous, not him. Thankfully, she was only a month along. She doubted that Sasuke had any idea that she was pregnant.

Well, Sasuke wasn’t sure about not being nervous. It was kind of a big question. Still, he sits her down on a beautifully carved wood and stone bench, the plan in his head ready to be set in motion. “Close your eyes.”

Hinata closes her eyes. "Alright." She didn't really get what he was so nervous about, but she'd humor him.

Standing behind her, Sasuke trails his fingers along her shoulders, breathing out slowly. “I fell in love with your love letters, you know. Even if they weren’t meant for me…I could see the beautiful soul behind the words. Beautiful…shy, mysterious, surprisingly fun and playful. I know that they weren’t meant for me, but even after finding that out, I couldn’t help it. I’d fallen in love with you before I even really realized how deep I’d fallen.”

Hinata smiles as she listens to him talk. She wanted to say something, but at the same time she was rather spellbound by his sweet words. Sweet Sasuke was a rare Sasuke. So, a Sasuke that should be savored. Most of the time, he was a Serious or Sexy Sasuke. She loved the other versions as well of course, but she was getting off track.

Still, there was a lot more than needed to be said. “I wanted you to be happy, so I didn’t say a word. I went off to pursue my career, never expecting that when I got back, that you would be the one there for me in the hospital.” He could say the word without having an attack, an accomplishment, according to his brother. “Sometimes, you never fall out of love with someone. And that was definitely true when I saw you again in the hospital. You…were what helped to keep me calm, keep me sane…when the world felt like it was falling apart around me.”

"I’m glad that you never fell out of love with me, even though I gave you more than enough reason to." She had been unintentionally cruel by ‘throwing’ her relationship with Naruto in his face. "I don't really deserve you, but I’m happy that you think of me that way."

He reaches a hand into his pocket, removing the box and flicking it open to reveal a silver chain. “I love you…more than you will ever know. You’re my light in the darkness. And it would make me happy…if you would continue to be that light for me.” He slides the chain from the soft wrappings, gently clasping it around her neck. “Open your eyes.”

That's when she opens her eyes and gasps. She looks down and sees the most beautiful ring that she had ever seen. A ring of rose gold, two leafy twists studded with diamonds looping together around the central one, cupped by flower petals, with two more diamond studded flowers on each side. "S-Sasuke, are you p-proposing?!" Hinata knew that it was stupid to ask that. Of course, he was. A man didn't give a woman a ring like that, if he wasn't. She had just never expected it to happen this soon or at their friends' wedding.

He takes a deep breath, gliding around the bench and sinking to one knee, eyes flickering with a spark of hope. “Hinata, will you marry me?”

Hinata does something very not Hinata-like. She glomps him. "Yes!" Oh wait. She should probably tell him first before promising to walk down the aisle for him. "Well...if you don't mind a short engagement." She didn't want to be in her third trimester or caring for a newborn and planning a wedding. "And if you don't mind...my news. You might want to sit down for this." She gets off him and helps him up.

A little stunned by the sudden glomp, but elated by the accepting of the proposal, Sasuke still found himself a little poleaxed. “News?” It was going so well…why did she want a short engagement? And why did he need to sit down? Not that he didn’t sit down anyway, with Hinata half crawling into his lap.

"Well...you know how you sometimes wake me up really affectionately in the morning and we get carried away, once in awhile?" She wraps her arms around his neck, trying to will her heart to slow down. It was a pointless effort. "You're very good at...distracting me and making me forget things." It just wouldn't stop beating frantically, but she should probably ease him into this.

“Yes…?” Sasuke did rather enjoy those mornings. They were always very fun, even if it meant that they had to hurry in order to make it to work on time. Though he was fairly certain he was mastering the art of the quickie. Even though he much preferred to drag it out a while.

She bites her lower lip. "Well I might have...forgotten to take the proper precautions a couple of times." Sasuke probably knew this, but well she tended to babble when she got nervous. "You're supposed to take the pill at the same time every day and I kinda didn't a couple times because we were distracted." And rarely, had she ever been this nervous! She takes hold of one of his hands and pulls it down gently towards her stomach. "And well...sometimes, it only takes once." Hinata bites her lip again. "I'm pregnant. I took the test three times and had Tsunade confirm it..."

Sasuke blinks, stunned by the announcement. His eyes drift down to her stomach, and slowly, he pushes her off his lap. “A baby…?” Was he ready for something like that? Getting married was one thing, but a baby? What if he had an attack? He hadn’t had a severe on in a while, and generally, he wasn’t a danger to anyone but himself. But children were fragile, delicate.

Still, he couldn’t help sinking down, curling his arms around her as he lays his head on her lap, staring at her stomach in child-like wonder. And despite his reservations, he smiles. “Our baby…” He gazes at Hinata’s stomach as though able to see through the dress, the skin, right into her womb, where the new child slept.

"Yes, a baby." Hinata sighs out in relief. "Our baby." She smiles and runs her fingers through his hair. "You aren't...upset? I know that it's a bit sudden." And he probably had concerns about his PTSD, but really he had been doing so well. Hinata didn't think that their child's safety would be in danger around Sasuke.

Upset? No…he was shocked, but not upset. Scared, but he wasn’t angry or anything. And he knew that she wanted children. Plus he’d already asked her to marry him, so it’s not Hiashi could throw too huge a hissy fit over finally getting a grandchild.

But…he was going to be a father. Sasuke was going to have a child of his own, a child with Hinata. No matter how shocked he was, and whatever his reservations were, he couldn’t bring himself to do anything but smile. “Good thing the house is so big.” He’d moved in with her about a year ago, not long after returning to active duty. And between her owning the house, her salary, his salary, and the standard military living allowance, well, they were more than comfortable. “They’ll need the room to grow.”

Hinata laughs and cuddles to him. "Mmm…Sasuke, it's a baby." She giggles. "One baby. Not an army. I think as long as we had an extra room, we would have been good." Though he did have a point. "I can't deny that it's...nice they'll have more room to run around though."

Sasuke chuckles softly. “Not an army yet…” But if Hinata kept forgetting her pills when Sasuke got frisky in the morning, well…they were going to end up with more than a few kids. And maybe…maybe it wouldn’t be so bad? “So…how are you going to tell Hiashi that he’s going to be a grandfather?”

"...I figured we'd inform him through a nice postcard while we were on our Honeymoon?" She rubs the back of her head sheepishly.

“Probably the wisest course of action.” Sasuke smirks mischievously. “So…London, Paris, Rome, or Athens?”

She smiles. "Yes, probably." Hinata pauses as she considers it. "I can't choose. They all sound wonderful, but I guess it doesn't really matter." She plays with his hair a little. "I doubt we'll be leaving the Honeymoon Suite much anyway."

“True.” Sasuke’s smirk only grew. “In that case, Madrid. I hear the food is good.” And for a pregnant woman stuck in the Honeymoon suite, room service was going to be a must.

"Madrid sounds good to me." She smiles and cuddles to him more. "I'm so happy. We should probably wait to announce it though. Would we be stealing Suigetsu's and Karin's spotlight if we announced now?"

“Probably.” But Sasuke had a way around that. He sits up, reaching for the ring and sliding it from the twisting silver pendant. He slips it onto Hinata’s finger and kisses her cheek. “But we can’t steal the spotlight if they’re the ones who notice and scream it first.” And Sasuke knew, if nothing else, that those two were hopeless busybodies when it came to his love life.

She laughs. "You're a little sadistic sometimes." Hinata kisses his cheek. "You know that, right?"

“Yes, I am, but they deserve it sometimes.” Sasuke pulls Hinata to her feet, tugging her back towards the hall. “I guess now they’ll all stop harassing me about finally proposing.”

"Hopefully." Hinata smiles as she allows herself to be lead back inside.

The air is warm as the two of them return inside the hall where the party is still in full swing. And from the sounds of it, more than a few people are drunk. Sasuke tilts his head, looking around for Suigetsu. That was the fastest way to get this over with. And when he spots Suigetsu and Karin making out next to the punch bowl, he rolls his eyes, shakes his head, and walks Hinata over to the two of them, holding her hand softly. “You’re supposed to save that for the Honeymoon Suite, you know.”

Suigetsu grins. "It's just kissing." He smirks. "Not like I bent her over the table or anything."

Sasuke shakes his head in amusement. “You’re about five minutes from it, and we both know that.”

“Sasuke…why do you have to be such a party poop-” Karin’s eyes catch sight of something rather shiny. Just out of the corner of her eye as she turns to look at the other couple. Wait…shiny? Her eyes drop to Hinata’s hand, and- “I KNEW IT! I KNEW THAT’S WHAT WAS IN THE BOX!”

Hinata winces. "A beautiful ring, but now I kinda wish that earplugs had been included." Owe! Her poor ears. "Karin, keep it down!" Damn. She really was a banshee. Hinata didn't think a fetus could hear anything at a month along, but if her child could hear...they'd be deaf from Karin's shriek.

Naruto looks over when his cousin shrieks at the top of her lungs, the party quickly diverting its attention as he frowns at Sasuke and Hinata. Box? What box? Wait, what was that about a ring? He glances at their hands, and sitting there is… “No way, the bastard did it!” He waves his hand in the air. “Oi, Itachi! The bouquet magic is real!”

Itachi blinks. "You're kidding me?” He never thought that stuff actually worked. "So you finally did it." He smiles and saunters over to Sasuke, clapping him on the back.

That was nothing compared to Mikoto and Emiko though. The mothers squeal and dart over, huggling their ‘babies’ tightly. "We're so happy for you!"

“Mom…” Sasuke groans quietly, trying to gently shake the woman off. Her Huggle of Doom was something to be feared. “And yes, Itachi, I’ve been trying to find the right time for a month. You all just kept harassing me about it and…well, the moment didn’t happen until just now.”

Mikoto beams and blushes. "Oh I'm sorry, baby." She loosens her grip. "Was that too tight?" She glances at Hinata. "Don't worry, we'll plan you a marvelous bachelorette party and find you the best dress." She smiles.

Emiko blinks. "I'm not sure if that's a good idea. Sasuke might kill the strippers and my daughter is a modest woman." She'd probably faint, if some random man gave her a lap dance. "But yes, we shall find you the most beautiful dress." The Hyuga woman hugs her daughter tighter. "I'm so happy for you."

Sasuke sighs. Well, it looked like there wouldn’t be much wedding planning for the two of them to do. The mother in laws seemed to already be planning what he was sure was going to amount to an absolutely lavish and over the top wedding. He groans quietly as he retreats towards his brother. “Looks like they’re already planning everything in their heads…I wonder how much they could get done in two or three months…”

Itachi tilts his head. "You do realize that that's an Uchiha and a Hyuga Matriarch, right?" He chuckles. "Event planning is something of their specialty. I imagine those two could take over the world in two to three months, if they really wanted to."

Sasuke didn’t doubt that for a second. Mothers could be scary when they wanted to be. He wondered if Hinata would be a terrifying mother as well. He was worried about how he would do as a father. Maybe… “I know you’re in the FBI, Itachi, but I really need to know if you can keep a secret.”

"You know that being able to keep a secret is somewhat mandatory for my job." Itachi chuckles as if Sasuke had said something extremely silly. "Yes, I can keep a secret."

“She told me…right after she said yes.” Sasuke was still reeling from the shock of the news, though he tried not to show it. “…You’re going to be an uncle in about eight months.”

Itachi blinks. For some reason that shocked him. "Well you must have been rather...thorough in your affections to have made a doctor forget to take contraception." That took some skill. Honestly, he was a bit impressed. "How do you feel about that?" Sasuke had been through quite an ordeal. If he hadn't been a POW, Itachi was fully confident that his brother wouldn't be intimidated by fatherhood. Well at least not anymore than any other man, but Sasuke was…well, still struggling a bit.

“Yeah. I’m…scared. I worry about hurting them. But…” It was something that made Sasuke feel human again, feel normal, like everything that happened was just a really, REALLY bad dream. “It doesn’t change very much. I knew that she wanted children. I just thought we’d have them later, when I was less…damaged.” If that was even possible. He still had a lot of darkness weighing on him. “But she’s my light. I’d still be trapped in the darkness without her.”

"Well I am happy for you." Itachi smiles at his little brother and pokes his forehead. "Besides, even at your worst...I highly doubt you'd hurt your child or her." He hugs him gently, running slender fingers through dark hair.

Sasuke hoped for that as well. “Hiashi is going to be livid.” It made Sasuke smile. “I can’t wait to see his face when we get back from the Honeymoon and he’s read the postcard.”

Itachi laughs and shakes his head. "You aren't seriously going to tell him by postcard." He blinks. "Are you?"

“…It was Hinata’s idea.” And Sasuke could barely believe it himself.

"The woman is what…twenty-seven years old?" Itachi chuckles. "The man needs to loosen the umbilical cord." Honestly, Hiashi was being ridiculous.

“She’ll be twenty-eight soon.” Sasuke rubs the back of his head sheepishly. “But at least I suggested Madrid. Might as well pick a place with good food if we’re not even going to leave the room. And we’ll be far away from Hiashi while he gets the postcard.”

Itachi couldn't help, but laugh at that. "Well I suppose it's a good age to have your first child. You've both established yourselves in your careers and are out of the worst of the irresponsible twenty something phrase. You seem to have skipped that one completely though."

“No time to be irresponsible in the army.” Sasuke sighs, shaking his head. “I’m just…extending my duties further now.”

"Just remember the Jiggle and you should be fine." Itachi nods knowledgeably.

And for that, Sasuke promptly smacks his brother upside the head. Dumbass.


	36. Chapter 36

Mothers were truly scary things. Sasuke could remember his mother being rather pushy when he was a kid, but he’s never seen her nearly this…energized. Apparently, the idea of a short engagement only made the woman even more determined to put together the most magnificent wedding New York had ever seen. Sasuke would have been satisfied with something much simpler, but he had thought it wise to back out of most of the planning once his mother got on a roll.

Besides, that gave him more than enough time and space to make sure that Hinata had enough pillows to sit down on while their mothers talked incessantly over at the dining table, magazines, catalogs, and pamphlets scattered around their laptops. It was a grand debate regarding everything from the location to the colors of the tablecloths.

Hinata smiles as she cuddles up to Sasuke. It was nice to be held by him and rather amusing to watch their mothers plan the wedding. "I'm definitely not getting in the middle of that." Their mothers were both amazing and scary at the moment. The two matriarchs apparently didn't know the meaning of the words simple or easy when it came to wedding planning.

While he would have preferred that Hinata take her maternity leave early, he knew that she couldn’t until after the wedding, or everyone would know she was already pregnant. Which meant that he would have to suffer the paranoia of knowing that something could happen to her any day for the next couple of months until the wedding. After that, though… He wraps his arms around her, nibbling on her ear and lowering his voice well below what their mothers, or his suspiciously observant brother and father could hear. “You do know that as soon as the Honeymoon is over, you’re going on leave, right?”

She giggles at the nibbling and then blinks. "Sasuke, that seems a bit early for maternity leave." Hinata laughs. "I doubt I'll even be out of my first trimester at the rate our mothers are going."

“Still, better safe than sorry.” And Sasuke had seen way too much danger over the last few years to be entirely comfortable letting his soon to be wife and unborn child out where something or someone could hurt them.

Hinata kisses his cheek. "Sasuke, I work at a hospital." She smiles at him, trying to reassure her lover. "What safer place could there possibly be for a pregnant woman?"

“At home, in bed?” Sasuke was pretty sure that the safest place for her was where she wouldn’t have to drive, walk around people driving, be near anything heavy that could fall over, or really…out in the open, anywhere. Besides, that way, she could just lounge around and think up fun things to do before he got home and cooked dinner for them.

"Well it is pretty tempting." She rests her head on his shoulder and cuddles more to him. "To just lounge in bed with you for the duration of my pregnancy." Well lounge and do more vigorous activities in bed with him. "But don't you think you're overreacting a little bit?" She laughs.

Considering the things he’d seen, this was actually an under-reaction. “No. But you can go ahead and call me paranoid anyway. I won’t dispute it.” Sasuke knew that to others, he might seem a little unreasonable, but to him, it made perfect sense. Her being pregnant meant that she would be in more danger than usual. Not to mention…if there was anyone else out there like Orochimaru, anyone who knew about the potential of Orochimaru’s experiments being passed to his children… Well, he could think up a lot of nightmare scenarios from that alone.

Hinata shakes her head and cuddles to him. "I'll take it easy and see how early I can take the leave, if it will make you feel better." Tsunade would probably humor her.

“Good.” Sasuke’s voice rumbles softly as he hums in contentment. He glides his hands over her stomach, already picturing it growing larger, rounder, full with their child. Part of him was still terrified that, while unlikely, he would have an attack and hurt Hinata and the baby. But part of him felt…peaceful, like for the first time in a long time, all was right with the world.

"I would be a very cruel Princess to deny my Knight, after all." She shivers at the quiet rumble as she snuggles closely and watches their mothers continue to go bonkers. "They're....debating what color the tablecloths are going to be." Hinata blinks in disbelief.

“Again.” Sasuke was pretty sure that this was their second time discussing the topic. “They’re being extremely thorough. I think they’ve gotten three months worth of planning done in just one afternoon.” They must have made a dozen calls to friends of theirs, setting up things like catering and flowers, involving the Yamanakas and Akimichis in the planning, of course. Ino and Chouji’s families were very good at what they did, and weddings were some of the biggest business opportunities that were thrown their way. Plus, Ino went crazy for them.

Hinata laughs a bit nervously. "Well I did say I wanted a quick engagement." Though even she was stunned at their efficiency.

“I’m pretty sure that they want to have it just before New Year’s. Something about it being a good omen, or something.” Sasuke didn’t really pay attention to the superstitious ramblings of their mothers. But he did catch the words ‘beautiful ice sculptures’ and ‘snow frosting’ a few times. So he assumed that it would be winter-themed to go with the season. And it would be right after Hinata’s birthday, and then Christmas. “Obviously, it’s going to be indoors.”

"Indoors or outdoors doesn't matter to me." The bluenette smiles and kisses his cheek. "All that matters is that I"m marrying you."

“Yeah…” Sasuke cuddles her closely, his eyes drifting towards the stairs in his parents’ house. It was the one place that Hiashi Hyuga would refuse to set foot in, and therefore, a safe place from his wrath, should he find out early that he was going to be a grandfather. Still, Sasuke had to wonder just what Itachi and Kakashi were doing up in Itachi’s old room. They were supposed to be down here helping him plan the Honeymoon, since that was the one part that he’d managed to wrangle from their mother.

As if on cue, Kakashi and Itachi stumble down the stairs with each other. The elder Uchiha Brother's hair was a mess and the military officer's hair was even worse. It would have been comical, if it wasn't so obvious what they had been doing.

Sasuke blinks slowly at the two of them, taking in their disheveled appearances. “You didn’t…” Oh hell no, those two did not just have sex in his parents’ house. “Dammit, Itachi, you’re supposed to be helping me plan for Spain, not…” He gestures to Kakashi irritably. “This!”

"Oh well we were multi-tasking." Itachi smiles pleasantly as he hands Sasuke a rather thick guide book with bookmarks in it. "Pink bookmarks are for romantic getaway places. White for potential hotels. Blue for practical locations like hospitals and where you can rent a car or cab. Gold for tourist locations. And so forth." He seemed very pleased at his planning.

Sasuke twitches. “Do I WANT to know just how the two of you managed to multi-task?” White was really all that he was interested in, and maybe the blue, in case something went wrong. But maybe they could see a few of the pink and gold marks if they were bored of sex. Not that that was likely to happen, but still.

Itachi beams at Sasuke. "We're just that good. I work for the FBI and Kakashi is a commanding officer for a reason." He shrugs and smiles at him. "Foolish little brother, don't be jealous of our skill. Just be happy that it benefits you in this instance."

“He’s a commanding officer because he knows how to handle hundreds of weird soldiers who would be one big incoherent mess most of the time.” Which about summed up his platoon. And Itachi…what could Sasuke say about him. “You work for the FBI because you enjoy psychoanalyzing people and figuring out how to drive them insane.” Like with incessant forehead pokes.

"That's correct." Itachi smiles teasingly. "I knew there was a reason why you were at the top of your class." The other Uchiha chuckles as Hinata giggles.

Kakashi pats Sasuke’s head as the younger man grumbles. “That’s why I picked you. Apart from the borderline insanity that makes you both incredibly creative, and dangerously reckless, of course.” It was creativity and recklessness that had gotten that platoon out of more than one scrape over the years. At least now he could have Sasuke do a safer job. “By the way, while we were upstairs, Itachi introduced me to your bookcase. I didn’t know you wrote poetry.” Kakashi pulls one of Sasuke’s poetry journals out of thin air, flipping a few pages. “Some of it is quite dark, but very expressive.”

“Give me that!” Sasuke lunges slightly for the book. But with Hinata in his arms, there’s only so far that he can reach. And it didn’t help that his face was a burning scarlet.

Hinata shakes her head and gets up. "Give me that." She grabs the book and hands it back to Sasuke. "It was wrong of you to read his private writings." She smiles at Sasuke. "I'm sure, if he wanted you to see it...he would have shown you."

Kakashi makes a face, but Sasuke just takes the book and nuzzles his fiancee. “Thanks…” He looks at the book, opening it to the inside cover and frowning. “You were looking at the one from senior year?” He’d never shown anyone that, not even Itachi.

"You're welcome." Hinata smiles at the nuzzling and indulges in some minor cuddling. "Don't let it bother you too much. I'm sure Kakashi didn't mean any harm." He was just being nosy!

Rolling his eyes, the colonel crosses his arms. “I didn’t, but it does add some more depth to your psychological profile. Itachi would probably have a field day trying to analyze all of that.” Kakashi’s eyes fall on Hinata. “It’s easy to see how special you are to him, after flipping through that book.”

Hinata blushes and hides her face in Sasuke's chest. "The pregnancy and wedding ring wasn't enough proof for you?" She laughs embarrassedly.

Kakashi chuckles and presses a finger to his lips. “Be careful not to say that too loudly. There are two women less than thirty feet away who would love to hear that they’re going to be grandmothers.”

"Oh don't worry. "Itachi smirks as he glances at Mikoto and Emiko. "They're a little distracted right now." He doubted that they would have noticed an elephant in the room at the moment. They were that preoccupied.

Sasuke rolls his eyes, putting the book down and resolving to find all of his old poetry books and hide them somewhere safer next time. Somewhere his nosy commander and brother wouldn’t be able to find them. “So why exactly were you two in my old room anyway?” There wasn’t much in there anymore, just some old clothes and some books. The things that he didn’t take with him or throw out when he left for West Point all those years ago.

Itachi smiles and chuckles. "I was just giving him a more thorough tour of the house." And it had been a very thorough one at that.

Sasuke’s face goes blank. “You two did NOT have sex on my bed.”

"You haven't used that bed in almost a decade." Itachi shrugs. "I don't know, if I would call it yours anymore."

Hinata laughs. "Well, that's probably fair." She leans over and brushes her lips against Sasuke's ear. "We did have sex on his couch, that one time."

Which meant that he had. Itachi had totally let Kakashi bang him on Sasuke’s bed. The younger brother shudders at the thought. “That doesn’t mean that you had to have sex on it, Itachi, your old bed is still here, you could have easily made do with that. I only ever had sex on that bed twice!” And besides, he’d slept in that bed way longer than the decade he’d spent out of it. “Now I have to wait for the smell to clear out before getting my books.”

"What are you a dog?" Hinata giggles as she kisses his nose. "The smell?" Akamaru had better move over if Sasuke's nose was that sensitive.

Itachi shrugs and chuckles. "It's Kakashi. He has a deviant side to him." And apparently that was supposed to explain everything.

“I should have known…” It would be just like Kakashi to mess with him like that. “In that case, you might as well do the shower as well.”

Kakashi raises an eyebrow curiously. “The shower? Now what’s the story there?”

“Wouldn’t you like to know…” Sasuke grumbles, pulling Hinata closer. “It was a very long time ago.” Tenth grade, he was pretty sure. What had her name been…Naomi?

Itachi rolls his eyes. "Childish, Sasuke. Truly." He highly doubted the scent of sex was thick enough he needed a shower now. Though he got the reference.

Sasuke had been in his sophomore year and apparently managed to convince his first serious girlfriend to take their relationship to the next level. Itachi had accidentally walked in on them the morning after. Thankfully, their parents were out that weekend on a business trip.

The poor girl had been absolutely mortified, but at least the blankets had been on top of them at the time. After Itachi politely excused himself, she had gotten dressed in short order and darted off. At which point, Itachi had warned Sasuke to take a shower because their parents were due home within the next hour or two and he doubted the other man wanted to get caught.

"You're pushing your luck though." Referencing his first lover in front of his pregnant fiancee, even so vaguely seemed pretty fucking risky to Itachi. "In any case, get over it." He rolls his eyes, trying to save his foolish little brother from putting his foot in his mouth.

“Oh I’ll get over it once the smell is gone, and you two promise not to screw around like that again. You have your own room for that, Itachi.” Though Sasuke directs his glare at Kakashi, the pervert.

He pokes his forehead. "You're such an overgrown baby sometimes." Itachi shakes his head and drags Kakashi off with him.

“Asshole…” Sasuke rubs his forehead, silently cursing the lack of bangs. He doubted that Itachi was ever going to stop poking him. “They’d better leave my books alone.”

Hinata wasn't completely naive, even in passing, she could read between those lines. "And someone needs to stop referencing high school showers." She hadn't thought for a moment that Sasuke had been an innocent when they got together. He was too...confident for that to be a possibility and he knew that he hadn't been her first either, but that didn't meant that she wanted to hear about Shower Girl. Whoever she was.

Sasuke blinks, before pressing his forehead to Hinata’s shoulder. “It was a long time ago, Hina. It was high school. Before you…” Well, before she’d started writing the letters. He shakes his head. “It doesn’t matter anymore. It hasn’t mattered for over ten years.”

"I know." Hinata still grumbles under her breath though. "I'm being irrational." She rests her head on his shoulder and looks up at him. "I blame it on the hormones." Not really. Hinata was sure she probably would have wanted to smack the Shower Slut either way, but if Sasuke could overlook that she was had dated Naruto for a couple years, well she could get over some faceless girl.

“Well, it’s okay if you want to blame it on the hormones.” Sasuke kisses her softly. “But it’s kind of exciting to see you getting jealous.” He’d definitely had enough of that feeling senior year.

She kisses back. "I know that it isn't fair." Hinata looks at him. "We weren't even together than and honestly, you barely knew I existed at that point." She sighs, feeling a bit guilty but also still irritated. "It's just hard to think about you with someone else. I mean, I'm not stupid. It wouldn't be realistic for me to believe that I was your first." He'd obviously had offers. Enough to stuff his entire locker full of love letters on a daily basis. It was only natural that he'd at least take up at least one of them.

“No, but at least it gave me the chance to learn something first.” No awkward stage, trying to figure out what the hell Hinata wanted. Just straight into the fun stuff. “And it’s not that I didn’t know you existed, I just wasn’t paying attention until I noticed that the wallflower was actually much more interesting than she seemed.” Sasuke bites softly on her ear, his fingers trailing towards the hem of her shirt, despite knowing that this was the last place he wanted to show her just how interesting she was.

"Mmm that's why I said barely, not that you didn't." She mews at the attention. "I guess being each other's firsts is a romantic ideal, but the reality would have been at least slightly awkward." She snuggles to him. "I wouldn't have minded though." They could have figured it out together.

“What matters is that we ended up here.” Sasuke’s fingers slide under her shirt, teasing her skin gently. “Besides, I wasn’t what you needed, not then…” He peppers kisses along her neck. “It’s better that we waited. You launched your career, and I’m well situated in mine. We’re at comfortable parts of our lives, and we’ve grown enough that things just…fit together.”

She sighs in contentment. "You were always what I needed." That felt nice. "I just didn't know it, but you're right." Hinata smiles mischievously. "We do fit together VERY well." She glances around and makes sure their mothers were suitably distracted. "Do you want to go upstairs?" The shower was looking more tempting. After all, she was an experienced woman. She could satisfy him much better than the high school girl had.

Now that sounded like a very good idea. “Do you plan to traumatize my brother?” It would serve Itachi right if Sasuke and Hinata traumatized him and Kakashi up there. Sasuke smirks along her skin. “Or would you rather go home and have a very long shower?”

She brushes her lips against his ear and smiles. "A long," Hinata pauses and kisses his ear. "HOT shower," The blunette nibbles lightly, "sounds really, really good."

Sasuke does his best not to groan at her words. What were the chances that they would be able to get away with something like that in the house and not get caught. “Here or home?” He was pretty sure that they could get home fast enough, traffic wouldn’t be bad for a couple more hours.

"Here." Odds were that they could get back to their home quickly, but Hinata wasn't in the mood to wait. Not even for a ten or fifteen minute drive. "Can't wait." She nips his ear teasingly. "They won't notice anyway." Her voice was already husky with desire. "Besides, Itachi says the bathroom is soundproof anyway."

Sasuke raises an eyebrow as he sweeps Hinata into his arms. “And just when did he tell you that?” He takes the stairs one at a time, careful not to drop his pregnant fiancee.

"You remember awhile back, when you introduced me officially to the rest of your family?" Sasuke wasn't the only one who had been subjected to a Meet the Parent's Dinner. Though at the Uchiha household, there had not been such a battle of wills over dinner. "That's when he told me." She giggles at being scooped into his arms and allows him to carry her off.

“That sadistic asshole.” Sasuke chuckles as he shakes his head, nudging open the door to his, thankfully, empty room, and nudging it closed as he heads for the en-suite bathroom. It did smell like sex in the room, but it looked like Itachi was considerate enough to crack the windows open a little.

He places her down inside the bathroom, closing and locking the door behind them. “Now, how hot do you want that shower?” Sasuke was seriously considering ripping Hinata’s clothes off, but he knew that she’d kill him if he did.

She smiles slyly as she slowly slides her shirt over her head, slowly revealing her still toned stomach and the red silky bra underneath. "Well I thought that perhaps my considerate fiance would get me all soaped up and nice and wet.”

“I can do that.” Sasuke reaches back to snap open the clasp of her bra, quickly revealing those creamy breasts that he so loves to mark up. “You’ll need to be cleaned after we’re done.” His hands trail down to her hips, sliding her pants down so that they fall to the floor.

She had on a pair of matching girl's boxers. "I figured you could." She kisses his nose briefly before tugging his shirt off him. "I mean you faced the Dragon Daddy. You can handle bubbles." Hinata giggles as she shimmies out of her boxers.

Sasuke’s belt hits the floor as he smirks. “The Dragon Daddy is not nearly as scary as you seem to think.” Not compared to everything else. Though he would do it again if it meant being able to caress his beautiful princess.

"He will be when he realizes he's about to become a Granddaddy Dragon." Hinata laughs as she reaches for his pants and tugs them off. The boxers followed suit in short order. "Would my handsome knight like to ravish his princess?"

Pushing her against the wall, Sasuke smirks. “He would indeed.” His hands roam over her curves, memorizing them. They would change in the coming months, he knew that. So he would memorize her body every step of the way. He kisses her deeply, moving a hand to tilt her chin up. She still tasted of vanilla.

She smiles and kisses him. "Good." Hinata breaks the kiss and tugs on his lower lip with her teeth briefly before covering his neck with kisses and her hand finds his arousal, stroking him lazily. "Because I want you too." Idly, she wonders if he would still be this eager to ravish her in a few months, but she dismisses that thought to deal with it later. Right now, Hinata just wanted to be with him.

Baring his neck to her kisses, Sasuke groans as he thrusts slowly into Hinata’s hand. “I keep wondering what I did to deserve this.” Sasuke pants slightly. “But right now…I don’t really care.” He reaches for the taps, turning them and running the water as he nudges Hinata into the large shower, pulling the curtain behind them, confining them both under the warm spray.

"Well it might have something to do with the saving a few hundred lives thing." Hinata smiles and enjoys the sensation of the hot water hitting her bare skin and sound of Sasuke's lustful pants as she strokes him. "And of course, there is the being gorgeous and ridiculously intelligent thing as well." She smiles slyly. "And the sexy wakeup calls don't hurt." She moves down slightly until she was sitting on her knees and takes the sensitive tip into her mouth as she strokes the rest of him.

Sasuke’s head taps the wall of the shower as he leans back, holding back a throaty groan. “Hinata…” He runs a hand through her hair, holding himself back from thrusting too hard into her mouth. She was so good at that, and it drove him almost to insanity. And he’d been on the brink of that more than enough to know the feeling well.

She smiles at the groan and sucks him harder, while her hand continues it's gentle massaging. "I take it that this meets with my knight's approval?" Hinata stops sucking briefly, before resuming her administrations and her other hand slips between her thighs. She rubs at her clit as licks the sensitive tip of his arousal. Just the sound of his voice was enough to make her half ready to cum.

Tugging on her hair, Sasuke pulls her back up gently, his hand joining hers. “Keep that up, and this shower is going to be over too soon.” He presses her to the wall, capturing her in the cage of his arms, and in a deep, fiery kiss.

Hinata lets out a small squeak of surprise as she's moved away from him and ‘trapped’ against the wall. "And we most assuredly wouldn't want that." She returns his kiss and smiles teasingly into it. Not that she wanted to go anywhere. So she was just fine with being trapped.

Sasuke smirks at the squeak as he coaxes Hinata’s tongue to dance with his, his fingers reaching deep into her folds to find her wet and slippery. With his other hand, he reaches for the body wash that his mother had stocked the bathroom with, squeezing some into his hand, lathering it up as he squeezes Hinata’s breasts. “I think you said something about soap?”

"Yes, I did." She moans into the kiss, returning it eagerly as she squirms at the seductive touches. "You're really good at following orders."

“I’m a soldier, I have to be good at following orders.” He presses his lips to her throat, fingers slipping inside her to rub the silken sheath open for him. “Moan for me, dearest.” He hums against her throat. “Scream your pleasure for me.” His fingers press deeper, searching again for the sweet spot within her.

That made sense, but rational thought was quickly leaving Hinata behind. "Nhh!" The feeling of his lips against her throat and his fingers inside her was driving her insane. "D-Don't stop!" Thank goodness for soundproof walls.

Oh, but he was going to stop. Only for a moment though as Sasuke slides his fingers out of her, sliding himself inside her instead. She was wet and warm, and her skin was soft and supple under his hands as he circles his hands under her thighs, hoisting her up to press her against the wall as he moves inside her.

Hinata moans and leans against him desperately. "Yes!" It was so natural now. The way that they fit together so perfectly. It was both beautiful and erotic. "Feels so good." She kisses him heatedly, her tongue exploring his mouth in appreciation.

Hips thrusting up smoothly, quickly, Sasuke’s powerful muscles ripple with each movement, flexing as he holds Hinata’s entire weight easily against the slippery wall. “Hina, cum for me.” It felt so good, and he was so close. It felt like she was meant for him, a perfect fit, the perfect match. Soft, hard, strong, gentle. Perfect.

"Sasuke!" Hinata didn't have any trouble following that order. "Fuck!" She screams his name as she came hard and fast and clings to him desperately as he found her release.

“Hinata!” Sasuke leans his head against the wall, spilling himself inside her, so much so that if she weren’t already pregnant, that would definitely be a concern. But there was something of a…smugness bubbling within Sasuke as the shower washes away the last of the suds. It was familiar…it was nice.

Pulling out slowly, and letting her down even more slowly, Sasuke stays braced carefully against the wall as he reaches for more shower gel, lathering it between his hands as he reaches around Hinata, cleaning every inch of her skin. “Maybe we should try it in the bath next time.” He could definitely see that being a lot of fun. No better way to spend bath time than with the mother of your child.

Hinata pants and tries to catch her breath. "That might be nice." Nice and sensual, snuggling up to her naked lover. Well nice probably wouldn't last for long. "And of course, some other strong adjectives that have a positive connotation will likely be applied as well." Words that would probably scandalize her father, but he had to know they were lovers. They were engaged, after all.

“I like the sound of that…” Sasuke purrs in satisfaction, sidling around behind her to lather her front, squeezing her breasts in his palms, before trailing suds over her stomach and between her thighs.

"I thought you might." The bluenette giggles as she allows him to wash her. "You're so attentive."

“It’s a habit.” After all, paying attention to everything around him was basically part of the job description. “Though I like applying it this way best.”

Hinata laughs and smiles. "I have to agree with you there." She leans against him. "I love you." Sighing in contentment. "More than anything."

“And I, you…” Sasuke sighs, closing his eyes as his hands work on their own, memorizing every dip, curve, and where the swell would soon be in her skin. Her almost flawless skin would swell and stretch, the stripes of a tiger decorating her skin as proof of their love. “Hinata…I’m scared, worried, but…” He runs his hand over her stomach, letting it fall away slightly. “I’m excited too. A few months, and you’ll be growing round and plump, and I’ll be able to see our baby.”

"Don't be." She smiles at him reassuringly. "You'll be a wonderful father. If anything, I'm the one who should be scared." Hinata pauses almost embarrassed at her confession. "It's vain, but I wonder if you'll be as interested in me in a few months. I know that it won't last forever, but I’m addicted to you. To this." Another pause. "That and well....childbirth isn't exactly known for being a very enjoyable process." Thank goodness for anesthesia. Though she knew that she would at least try for a natural birth.

“You think I’d be less attracted to you because you’re stomach will grow big to carry our baby?” Sasuke nuzzles her behind the ear as the suds wash down the drain. “If anything, I’ll be having difficulty holding back so I won’t end up hurting either of you.”

It had been a concern. A silly one, she knew but still something that worried her. "Maybe, a little." She snuggles against him and smiles. "But I know you'd never hurt either of us."

Sasuke wasn’t so sure about that, after all, there could always be an accident. Still…he would try his utmost not to hurt them. “I’d ask you if you wanted to go to my bed and cuddle, but…it’s kind of contaminated.” He turns off the shower slowly, letting the water drip a little as he cuts the flow of water. “Our mothers can handle things here. We could just take the suggestion book and make a run for it?”

"I can't believe you’re that squeamish about your bed because someone made love on it." She laughs. "It's not as if it was strangers and we can always wash the sheets or something." Hinata snuggles into him. "But yes, let's make a run for it."

“It being my brother and commander just makes it worse.” Sasuke shakes his head, water dripping from his soaked, shiny black hair. “They wouldn’t know a boundary if it smacked them in the face.” He reaches for a towel, running the fluffy surface carefully over Hinata’s skin. “And I’m not squeamish. I’m annoyed.”

Hinata shakes her head. "If you say so, My Love." She gets out of the shower and slowly starts to dry off. "Are you hoping for a girl or a boy?" She smiles at him.

Sasuke blinks. He hadn’t really thought about it. A girl? A boy? “…Well, I guess a boy would be nice. A big brother to support his younger siblings.” Assuming, of course, that they had more children. “I mean, I know Itachi is a pain in the ass most of the time, but…I wouldn’t be where I am without him. Though I wouldn’t complain about a little girl. A little princess who will charm all the boys.” Boys who would see the business end of his Beretta if they tried anything. “…Okay, maybe a boy would be easier for a first child. I don’t want to have to threaten anyone yet.”

"Why are men so much more protective of daughters than their sons?" Hinata shakes her head in amusement. "Well, even if it is a girl, you wouldn't have to threaten anyone for years."

“True…but if it’s a girl, I’m still teaching her martial arts. AND how to shoot.” Just in case, of course. She’d have to be able to defend herself, no matter what she decided to do with her life. “If it’s a boy…well, I’m still teaching the little one how to fight.”

Hinata rubs the back of her head sheepishly. "Why am I suddenly imagining you giving our five year old a Beretta?" She almost wouldn't put it past him.

“Not at five, I was thinking…more at eight.” After all, Sasuke had some restraint. And giving a gun to a kindergarten kid was pushing it. Eight, though…eight could work. “And not to carry or anything, not until they were a teenager, just to practice with. At the base, with me watching.”

"Sasuke, I must have literally screwed your brains out." She shakes her head. "We are not giving any eight year old a military issued weapon, or any weapon stronger than a water gun."

“…Fine, we can start them off with water guns and Nerf guns, then paint-ball guns.” Sasuke was determined that their children be able to protect themselves if the time called for it. “When they upgrade to real guns, I’ll be strict about it. And they can all start on martial arts early.”

Hinata dresses and stretches. "I suppose that's agreeable." She knew that Sasuke was just trying to protect protect their children, but she wasn't giving an eight year old a lethal weapon. Supervision or not.

“Good.” Sasuke finishes drying himself off and pulls on his clothes. “Now…I believe that we have some escaping to do.”

"Yes, we do." Hinata laughs, taking his hand with a smile as the two turn to leave.


	37. Chapter 37

Two months later, Hinata was staring at herself in the mirror of one of the hotel rooms in the Plaza. The Hyuga woman was wearing her wedding dress and a sparkling tiara. It really did feel like something out of a fairytale until her mothers started talking.

"This is for you dear. It's a tradition! Something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue!" Mikoto giggles. At first, Hinata innocently thought that sounded normal enough. She smiles and takes the bag that her soon to be mother-in-law handed her. "Thank you." And then made the mistake of opening it in front of her sister. Some rather lacy bridal lingerie to put it mildly.

"When I first got it, it was the wrong size. So it’s been sitting in the closet for over three decades." She beams. "But I think it should fit you. And if that doesn't get Emiko and I some adorable grandchildren, nothing will."

Hanabi goes wide-eyed at the very skimpy lingerie. If her father saw that, he would have a heart attack in the middle of the ballroom, she was sure of it. “…I think Sasuke will like it.”

Her mortification was only deepened by the fact, Sakura, Ino, and Tenten were also there. "I'm s-sure here will." Hinata blushes scarlet and Mikoto beams, clearly quite pleased by her own cleverness.

"Yes, that should do it." Emiko laughs as she places a necklace on Hinata. A silver chain with a sapphire on it. "Something blue and that you can actually wear in public."

“Well, that’s something old and something blue.” Ino grins widely. “Now just something borrowed and something new!” She pulls out a little box, fiddling with the contents and reaching for Hinata’s ears, letting silver star earrings dangle from the empty holes there. “Well, that’s something borrowed!” Ino had worn those to their senior prom, even if they were a bit expensive to be wearing to a dance.

Hinata smiles at the earrings. "I can't believe you kept them for a decade." She reaches for them and nods gratefully at her friend. "Thank you, Ino."

“No problem!” The blonde grins happily. “Now…something new…something new…”

“I can help with that.” Sakura carefully pats the twisting braids holding back Hinata’s flowing, waist-length hair. “I picked it up this morning.” She reaches into her purse, pulling out a snow white ribbon, lacing it into Hinata’s hair with the precision of a surgeon. “There, something new.”

"This is definitely more fun than my Bachelorette Party." Now that had been traumatizing. "Never again. Never again!"

Ino snickers. “Not unless you’re planning on getting married again.” Which she doubted. She’d never seen Hinata attach herself to anyone so throughly. Then again, she knew something that most of the room didn’t. Tsunade knew, which meant Sakura knew, which meant that she managed to pry it out of Sakura. Hinata was pregnant! And she’d been pregnant less time than Sasuke had been planning on proposing! She got that part of the gossip straight from Naruto and Karin.

Hinata shakes her head. "Until death do us part." And even then, she wasn't sure that she'd ever remarry. It just wouldn't be the same. "And you only snicker because you didn't have to deal with him after he realized I got drug along." Hinata was pretty sure she still had some lovebites somewhere.

Mikoto laughs. "Like father, like son. I'm impressed that you can walk." Hinata blinks. That was moderately disturbing. Moving on then. "Well I think that's everything."

Sakura smirks. “Well, everything on our end. But I’m pretty sure that Naruto is giving Sasuke a headache right about now.” He was taking his Best Man duties seriously. That included the bachelor party that Sasuke had to be dragged to almost kicking and screaming, and which he did absolutely nothing but drink a little at. Naruto had been disappointed about that, but at least he was too oblivious to pay much attention to the strippers. Sakura still clocked him good, though.

Hinata nods in agreement. "That's true." It was a miracle that the two of them hadn't killed each other yet.

* * *

 

Sasuke wasn’t sure what had him more on edge. The fact that he was getting married today. Naruto and his incessant talking. Or Kakashi dressing him in full uniform, all appropriate medals and ribbons present. And by appropriate, that meant ALL of them. He felt like there was a spotlight trained on him, and he wasn’t even anywhere near the altar yet. Hell, he wasn’t even near the grand ballroom yet.

And then there was Itachi messing with his hair every ten seconds. Now THAT was aggravating. He made it stick up in the back, despite Sasuke’s efforts to keep the short locks DOWN. “Would you stop that!?” He swats Itachi’s hand away for what feels like the millionth time.

"I don't see why." He smirks at his little brother lovingly. "This is the style that she met you in, well, almost. It's fitting." He smiles as gestures towards the door. "I imagine the flower girl is already out and I can hear the music playing." Classical music and some jazz. Likely Hiashi and possibly Emiko's influence.

Sasuke glares at his big brother. “No it’s not, but I’m trying to at least look respectable.” He manages to pat his hair down, sort of, before glancing at the door. His heart was pounding so loudly, he was pretty sure that everyone in the room could hear it.

Fugaku shakes his head in amusement. "Sasuke, you're wearing your military uniform and have at least half a dozen decorations on you. You look very respectable and the unruly state of your hair is of little importance." He pats him on the back. "Besides, Hinata is likely only going to mess up your hair later anyway."

Sasuke shoots an annoyed glare at his father. Civilians just didn’t get it. There were certain standards to uphold, especially in uniform. He was a Major for crying out loud! “Whatever…that’s later. And none of your business!” And the last thing he needed was his father commenting on his impending Honeymoon. He was pretty sure his cheeks were still burning despite that.

Fugaku rolls his eyes good-naturedly. His son truly must have thought he was stupid. "Of course. Later." He was not born yesterday. There was really only one reason to rush an engagement that much. Hinata was likely already pregnant. Thankfully, his wife and Emiko seemed oblivious. So did Hiashi. Fugaku knew this because Hiashi hadn't threatened to castrate Sasuke recently. So for now, he'd keep his mouth shut and invest in earplugs for when the Hyuga Patriarch found out.

Sasuke narrows his eyes at his father’s expression. He looked way too smug. “Is my getting married really that amusing?”

"Naturally, you are my son." Fugaku smiles and chuckles. "I know that my expectations were high for you and that I was not...as warm as I should have been, but I do care about you. Which is why I know better than to keep your bride waiting." He gestures to the door.

Sasuke glances at the door, nodding. That was a big crowd of people, and it made him very nervous. “Yeah.” But Hinata was going to be out there soon. He’d better get going. “You still look like the cat that got into the cream, though.” He makes for the door, pausing when his hand touches the heavy wood. “By the way, Kakashi, have you seen my Beretta? I think I left it at the base yesterday?” He’d been a bit scatterbrained because of the wedding prep, and must have left it behind.

Kakashi tries not to smirk. “No, I haven’t seen it. But we can find it later. Now go on, get yourself down that aisle and to the altar.”

“Alright, alright.” Sasuke opens the door, heading down the hallway towards the grand ballroom. Where did that gun disappear to, then?

The grand ballroom was beautifully decorated with chandeliers, a red carpet, hundreds of golden covered seats, and dozens of refreshment tables scattered around, not to mention the beautiful artwork. And everyone was dressed in their best clothes. Whether that was a military uniform, a lovely dress, or an expensive suit.

As Itachi predicted, a flower girl was bounding down the aisle and throwing petals everywhere much to the crowds delight and the preacher was waiting at the alter as the groom and groomsmen made their way down. What seemed like a thousand cell phones were snapping pictures so quickly that it almost drowned out the music playing in the background.

Well, that made Sasuke feel extremely self-conscious. Not a good thing, but…the friendly faces in the crowd made him feel better. And somehow, his whole platoon had ended up coming. Even a few higher-ups who had their eyes on him. Their invitations were a courtesy, of course. But the bulk of the guests were family and close friends.

The Uchiha, the Hyuga, and even the Uzumaki and Senju were out in force for this event. Those four families usually ended up attending the same events just by the close associations between them. That, of course, was probably a recipe for disaster, seeing as the older folks had more than a few rivalries going on.

Jiraiya smiles as he sees the groom and his party make their way to the alter. It wouldn't be long now until the bride came out. While this was certainly a more traditional wedding than the last one, he was still pretty sure that he could get a few laughs from the crowd.

Sasuke forces himself not to groan as he arrives at the altar. “No funny business, or I’ll have to make do without my gun.” Naruto’s godfather was a nice guy, a world-class pervert, but a nice guy. Funny too. But after the last wedding, Sasuke was still a bit wary about having the old man volunteering his services in officiating the wedding.

"Well you're only getting married once." He beams at him. "Hopefully, anyway." Jiraiya looks out into the crowd. "So we might as well make it memorable."

Oh, Sasuke was definitely only getting married once. He had no intention of having this not work out. “Just don’t make it as memorable as Suigetsu and Karin’s wedding.” That was just insane, really.

Jiraiya grins as he remembers that one. "That was some of my finest work." It was going to be difficult to top that. Suddenly some gasps were heard as Hinata was walked down the aisle by her father. "And here comes the bride now."

Sasuke’s eyes wander to where Hinata was being escorted down the aisle, his eyes widening at the sight of her. A long white dress, puffing out elegantly around her, trailing gracefully behind her, with patterns of flowers traveling up the bodice, all the way to the low neckline. Her pale skin was decorated with a silver and sapphire necklace, and he could see a white ribbon in her hair, and a tiara holding her long, silky veil in place. She was…

“Beautiful.” Naruto grins, elbowing Sasuke. “Might wanna pick your jaw up off the floor, bastard.”

Sasuke glares quickly at Naruto. “Idiot.” But his eyes quickly find Hinata again. Naruto was right, though, his bride was absolutely stunning.

Hinata blushes and smiles when she notices Sasuke's eyes on her. Though the bluenette was leaning into her father slightly. Probably because she was a bit overwhelmed by having likely hundreds of pairs of eyes on her.

Somehow she manages to will herself to move forward and not to stumble over her high heels. They were beautiful, but falling in those things would be humiliating. Sasuke's smile was reassuring though and she makes her way down the aisle, with her father's help.

Sasuke could only see Hinata as she closed the last few meters of distance, nearly coming to a stop before he reaches out for her hands, pulling her towards him. Though he’s careful enough not to dislodge the bouquet. After all, they had plans for that later. “You look beautiful. As usual.”

She smiles. "So do you." Her smile only grows. "As usual." Jiraiya chuckles at that.

"Dearly Beloved, we are gathered here today to celebrate the union of Sasuke Uchiha and Hinata Hyuga. If anyone has any reason why this couple should not be read, speak now or forever hold your peace." He smiles happily. "I would caution against it though as Sasuke has quite the temper and a lot of medals. Any objections would likely be met with a less than warm reception.

Sasuke was tempted to smack Jiraiya for that one, but he settles for glaring out of the corner of his eye for about two seconds. After all, the old man was not worth a court-marshal, especially not on his wedding day.

"Ah good." Jiraiya smiles more. "No one is feeling suicidal today. Excellent. No funerals." He smiles at Sasuke. "Do you Sasuke Uchiha, take Hinata Hyuga to be your lawfully wedded wife? To love, honor, and cherish for all of your days? To stand by her side in good times and in bad? For better or for worse? In sickness and in health? Till death do you part?"

Resisting the urge to roll his eyes at the man, Sasuke stares into the soft eyes of his beloved. “I do.” Though the old perv was right. No objections meant no funerals.

"Do you, Hinata Hyuga, take Sasuke Uchiha to be your lawfully wedded husband? To love, honor, and cherish for all of your days? To stand by his side in good times and in bad? For better or for worse? In sickness and in health? Till death do you part?" Jiraiya beams at the blushing bride.

Hinata smiles as she rubs Sasuke's hands lightly. "I do." She was one bride that didn't have cold feet. Though sore feet wasn't out of the question. Damn heels.

"Then by the power vested in me, I pronounce thee man and wife." Jiraiya chuckles. "You may kiss your bride and after everyone has congratulated you, you may make a tactical retreat to your Honeymoon where you can deploy as many Do Not Disturb Signs as you wish."

Sasuke doesn’t resist the urge to roll his eyes this time, but ignores the old perv after a couple of seconds in favor of sweeping his wife into his arms, the rings slipped deftly onto fingers during the embrace, before he decides that the kiss should NOT be rated G.

Hinata giggles as she was swept into his arms and returns the kiss happily. Sighing in contentment, until she realizes it was a rather passionate kiss. "Sasuke." Hinata blushes more as she breaks the kiss and rests her head on his shoulder. "Let's not give my father a stroke."

Sasuke smirks as he leans down to nibble her ear. “Alright, you can be the one to give him the heart attack after we leave.” He chuckles softly. “Remember the plan?”

Hinata mews cutely as her ear gets nibbled on. "That sounds good and yes, I remember." She laughs as she hurls the bouquet roses away from the crowd and towards the groomsmen, smacking Itachi in the head with them.

His smirk only widens at the sight as Sasuke glances at his rather poleaxed older brother. He chuckles under his breath “Nice shot, Princess. A perfect bullseye.”

Hinata giggles at the sight. "Well I learned from the best." She smiles and kisses his cheek. "You have very good aim too."

“Yes I do, and I suppose that it’s time to prove it.” Sasuke runs his hands up Hinata’s legs, shifting her dress, and blinking when he finds something hard attached to the right garter belt. “What the…?” He pushes up the white fabric bemusedly, twitching at the sight. “THAT’S where my Beretta went!?”

Madara just bursts out laughing. "Are all brides packing heat to their weddings these days?" He looks around in amusement. "Why did no one inform me of this new tradition?"

Hinata blushes and smiles at Sasuke. "I wanted to make sure you didn't threaten Jiraiya with it." She figured it was better safe than sorry.

Sasuke’s eye twitches. “So…what, you asked Karin to grab it for you!?” It had to be her, she had access to both of them as one of the bridesmaids, and she was looking too smug for that not to be the case. He shakes his head and goes for the other garter instead.

"Yes, I asked Karin to get it and she agreed with me, that it was the safer option." And who could blame her? Suigetsu would have done something stupid, and Kakashi would have just laughed it off. Hinata had no choice but to resort to Karin.

“Naughty princess, I’ll have to punish you later for that.” He slides the lace from Hinata’s leg, pulling the elastic fabric taught between his fingers as he glances over his shoulder, firing the decoration straight at Kakashi’s face.

Hinata smiles and then squeaks at Sasuke's words. "I look f-forward to it." She watches as the garter belt goes flying at Kakashi's face and the silver haired man winces.

He gives Sasuke a half-hearted glare. "Very subtle, Sasuke." He rubs his face. "That felt like a wasp's sting!"

“It was supposed to!” Sasuke rolls his eyes in a juvenile fashion, pulling his new wife to her feet. “Now you two can stop dancing around each other, right Itachi?” He smirks at the bouquet in his brother’s hands and the petals stuck in Itachi’s hair.

Itachi pokes his forehead. "Foolish little brother." Itachi shakes his head and walks over to Kakashi. "I apologize. You'll have to forgive Sasuke. He was born foolish. Hinata is kind to overlook that particular quirk of his."

Sasuke shoots them a sour look as he pulls Hinata away to dance. Kakashi just smiles at the two. “Well, Sasuke has always been my favorite subordinate because of who he is. Foolish recklessness included.” He presses a hand to his chest. “Though I wish he would stop trying to make me have a heart attack.”

"Just part of his charm, I suppose." Itachi shakes his head and kisses Kakashi's cheek as he leads him away to the dance floor.

Hinata laughs as she wraps her arms around Sasuke's neck. "I'm sure one of them will propose soon enough. The way they look at each other speaks volumes." She sways with him gently to the music, lilting notes already filling the air.

“I know. It’s just fun to tease Itachi about the fact that I beat him to the altar.” Sasuke eyes his brother dancing with his colonel for just a second, before focusing his attention solely on his wife. “So, will you be leaving the postcard for your father, or will we be sending it to him from Madrid. Personally, I think that leaving him one is a better choice. It’ll give him time to cool down before we get back in two weeks.”

"Everything is such a competition when it comes to brothers." She laughs at the thought that Sasuke thought he had beat Itachi in some way because he got married first. "But yes, I think that a postcard before we leave might be better."

“We could leave it with Itachi.” It would serve him right if Sasuke made him the messenger of THAT news. Itachi could deal with Hiashi. “Or Kakashi.” The colonel could handle one irate businessman easily enough, so he was an option as well. “Otherwise we can’t be sure that he’ll get it once we’re in the air.”

"Do you have a preference?" She smiles at him. "Doesn't matter to me, just as long as he gets it." Hinata glances at the cake. That did look good.

Hm…which one to have suffer Hiashi’s wrath…? Decisions, decisions. “Both of them.” Sasuke nods, satisfied with his choice. “They should be able to get the message to Hiashi. Besides, I doubt that they’re going to be leaving each other alone for the rest of the night.”

Hinata laughs as she leads them over to Kakashi and Itachi, handing them a card. "Make sure that my father gets that before you leave." She winks at them and then leads her husband over to the cake.

Sasuke suppresses a chuckle as his wife pulls him to the towering white, blue, and gold monstrosity that they called a cake. It was HUGE! Well, it had to be, considering that there were four Japanese clans here, along with a platoon of soldiers, and a crack team of agents, officers, and specialists who had been hard at work uncovering all sorts of nasty details over the past year and a half, and really needed a break from chasing bad guys.

"I'm not really sure how we're going to be able to cut it." Hinata blinks at the massive cake. "It's so big."

Suigetsu snickers. "Karin said something similar on prom night." Hinata couldn't help, but blush at that statement. "Good times, good times."

“Awesome, Suigetsu…I didn’t need to know that.” Sasuke frowns at the cake. “I might have an idea, though…” After all, the giant blue man could usually be counted on in a pinch. “Kisame, you got a sword on you?” He raises his voice above the noise of the crowd, knowing that this cake was going to take some serious effort to cut.

Kisame smirks and walks over with his sword in hand. "Of course, I never leave home without it." That was rather odd, even by Kisame standards. Still, Hinata wasn't going to question it.

Sasuke had long ago learned not to ask why Kisame liked swords so much, let alone carrying the deadly weapons around in public, or why Suigetsu shared a similar fascination, only including a vast array of firearms on top of that. He just accepted it for what it was, and now, he would make good use of both it and the giant man. “Well, you’re the only one who can reach the top.” He and Hinata were supposed to cut the cake, according to tradition, but maybe…practicality would have to win out. It was just too huge a cake.

"No problem!" He grins seemingly rather delighted by his new task. "You got it!" And with that, he swings his mighty sword down, cutting it into little pieces for everyone.

Ah, a time when having weird friends came in handy. Sasuke smirks as he picks up a piece of cake. “Thanks.” Next, he turns to his naughty wife and smushes the piece of cake right in her face. “And that, Princess, is for stealing my gun.”

She quickly swallows some cake and licks her lips free of the frosting. "You normally like it when I play with your gun though." And she shoves some cake right back at him!

Sasuke dodges most of the cake, but it still smears his cheek. He rubs it off with his thumb, licking the frosting away, before moving his ministrations to Hinata’s cheek. “And I’m sure you’ll enjoy playing with it again tonight.”

"M-Maybe." Hinata blushes and stammers at him. "Well it looks like everyone is having a good time." She smiles as she looks around. Even the elderly were having fun, and one couldn’t accuse the Uchihas of not having energy, even into old age.

Speaking of old age, over near one of the refreshment tables, Naori Uchiha was staring at the cousin she had not seen in years. "Madara, how on Earth do you care for that mane? You must spend half your day in the shower, just washing it." Honestly, she had never seen a man with hair as long as Madara's. Though she supposed, Jiraiya's came close. It was still less wild than the oldest Uchiha's.

Madara chuckles at the thought. “Not at all. The secret is shampoo with distilled sandalwood oil.” It was perfect for thick and wild hair. “It keeps it all under control.” Maybe he could recommend the product to his great-nephew, help him control that duck’s ass when his hair eventually grew back out.

"Mmm I see. Well that makes sense." Naori smiles and giggles when she notices what Tobirama and Izuna were discussing. Now that was an amusing topic of conversation.

"Back in our day, the most threatening thing a man had to worry about on his wedding night was a chastity belt." Tobirama observes sagely.

Izuna laughs and nods in agreement. "Yes, now they have to worry about their wife hiding a gun in her stockings or something of that nature." He shrugs. "Poor Madara. If he had gotten married today, he would have gotten his head blown off. Though the skirt chaser was responsible for half the chastity belts going missing in our day."

Madara grumbles irritably. “I do know how to handle a gun, you know. A firearm is hardly a daunting opponent.”

Izuna chuckles. It was always fun to mess with his foolish elder brother. "If you say so." He smiles and sips his wine innocently.

“I do say so.” Madara rolls his eyes at his little brother. He was, after all, old enough to remember the second world war. Izuna may have been too young to fight, but he hadn’t been. Facing down the barrel of a gun wasn’t that bad, at least in his opinion. And apparently, his great-nephew thought the same when he’d come asking for the recommendation that Fugaku never would have approved of. It was a decade ago, long before he’d given up political office, but it was a day he would never forget. “At least your grandson made it this far in one piece. I’m proud of the boy.”

Izuna nods in agreement. "As am I." He honestly didn't know how the man had come through all that with his sanity intact, but he supposed that it did help to have a sexy doctor around. "Poor thing looked terribly self-conscious in his uniform earlier though." All those medals were bound to attract attention.

“Hm…then perhaps I should have worn mine in support…” Madara wasn’t entirely sure where in the attic he’d stashed it, but he was sure that the half century old uniform was probably kicking around somewhere. It definitely would have attracted attention, though. Especially to be one of the few Japanese American soldiers to not be suspected of treason, and make General before the end of the Cold War. It was the best way he knew to protect his family.

"That's a sweet sentiment, but it's probably better that you didn't." Izuna shakes his head. "All eyes should be on them during their wedding day and you in that uniform, well that might attract too much attention."

“True.” Madara’s uniform was…well it stood out, to put it lightly. And as his eyes fell again on Sasuke, he smiled. Well, a little. “There’s light in his eyes. More than you’d expect after everything that happened.” And when those friends of Itachi’s had dug up all of the secrets lying buried around the incident, well, the boy’s mental fortitude was truly brought to light. “He would make a good General.” Even if he still had some anxiety, and a few nightmares here and there.

Izuna nods in agreement and smiles. "Don't tell the bride that, though." He was pretty sure Hyuga, well Uchiha woman would be less than thrilled to hear that. "I'm surprised that she apparently didn't object too strongly to his continued military career."

“Well, from what I heard, there was more than a little opposition.” Well, that was putting it mildly, according to how Madara heard it. “But the boy is determined, I’ll give him that.”

"Honestly, I wouldn't have blamed the man if he took the honorable discharge." He'd been willing to encourage it, actually. "At least, he's now in a more secure position now." And woe to anyone who tried to send that man overseas. Izuna was sure that like most Hyugas, Hinata had been trained in self-defense. That wouldn't be pretty.

“Yes, he is, but he would never have taken the discharge willingly.” Madara was sure of that. “He has the same fire I did when I was his age. He still has a long career ahead of him. And I doubt they’ll be risking his genius again by putting him back in the middle of battle. He’s proven his courage, now it’s time to use his mind to serve and protect.”

Izuna nods, but he couldn't help shrugging. "I can't say that I like it any better than she does really." He sighs at Sasuke worriedly. "At least you're probably right about that last part."

“Oh, I know I’m right. After all, there is something to be said for history repeating itself.” Madara’s eyes glitter with amusement. “And as for history repeating itself, I do believe that the couple is about to sneak off like you once did at your wedding.”

"That's my grandson." Izuna chuckles at the thought, remembering his own wedding many decades ago. "Good times. Good times."

“Well, I do believe that the private plane is ready. Should we help them to make their exit before the Hyuga discovers that you’re about to be a great-grandfather?” Madara could already imagine the look on that traditional man’s face when the real reason for the short engagement came to light.

He chuckles and shakes his head. "Yes, I suppose it's only proper. I do have a great granddaughter or great grandson to protect." He laughs and heads off with him to rescue the newlyweds.


	38. Chapter 38

Once the happy couple are safely out of firing range, meaning…already at the airport after bowing out of the reception, Kakashi spots Hiashi. “So, shall we break the news? Sasuke should be safe from his father-in-law’s wrath now.”

Itachi nods as he looks around warily. "I suppose it should be safe now." He agrees with his lover and sighs in relief when he notices a pair of meddling relatives walking towards them. Apparently, Madara and Izuna wanted to help.

Newly returned from getting the happy couple to the airport, Madara strides over to his other great-nephew. “So, your little brother left you to break the news, I see.”

"Yes, he really can be foolish sometimes." Itachi laughs and Izuna shoots him a sympathetic look. He knew all about foolish brothers.

“Well, did you have a plan for breaking the news to Hiashi? Or are you looking for backup?” Madara smirks, eager to see the look on Hiashi’s face.

Kakashi raises an eyebrow. “Did you have something in mind, General?” The title was a matter of courtesy, even if the man was long since retired.

“I may have a few ideas…” Madara’s smirk widens, becoming downright mischievous. “Though I find that the direct approach might be most entertaining in this case.”

Itachi shakes his head in amusement. "Try not to give the man a heart attack." He sighs dramatically. "We wouldn't want to kill off one of my niece or nephew's grandfathers."

“Well, then if you have a better plan of attack, be my guest.” Madara chuckles. “Just do be sure not to step on a landmine while being too careful.”

"I doubt there is really any good way to break the news." Izuna sighs as he glances at Hiashi. "Let's just do this together. There is safety in numbers." He nods sagely.

“You’re right about that.” Kakashi watches the businessman warily as he and his wife are getting ready to leave. “Well, no sense in delaying things any longer.” He wraps an arm around Itachi’s waist. “Shall we?”

Itachi smiles and nods as he heads off with Kakashi. "Yes, we shall." And with that, he walks over to Hiashi. "You may wish to sit down for this." He didn't want the man to faint and hit his head or something.

Hiashi blinks. Those words were never good news, especially when it involved the Uchiha. “Very well. Emiko?” He moves to the closest table, holding out a chair for his wife.

"I'm sure that they are overreacting." Emiko giggles as she sits down next to her husband. "How bad can it be?"

"Well it's actually wonderful news." Itachi rubs the back of his head sheepishly as he hands the Hyuga Patriarch the card. "Read it and I suppose congratulations are in order."

Hiashi looks at the post card, one from a trip that Sasuke and Hinata had taken to California for a couple of weeks during the summer. Then he turns it over to see Hinata’s elegant handwriting.

 

**_Dearest Father and Mother,_ **

**_By the time you read this, Sasuke and I will be on our Honeymoon. So please don't kill my husband for also being the father of your first grandchild. We're both very excited about the pregnancy and Sasuke has been very attentive in his fatherly duties._ **

**_Love, Hinata._ **

 

Hiashi’s eyes widen and his hands twitch. Hinata was… “PREGNANT!?” The Uchiha had gone too far! “I understand that it is unreasonable to expect two consenting adults to refrain from being intimate, but how could they be so reckless!?” Obviously they knew this before they were married. “Is THAT why he proposed to my daughter!?”

Emiko blinks and just stares at the card in shock. "Well I wasn't expecting that." She smiles and swats Hiashi lightly. "Calm down, My Love. We don't want you to have a stroke." And that was a very real possibility with the way that he was carrying on.

Kakashi could see that this was going nowhere good. So he coughs loudly for attention. “Actually, it seems that she didn’t tell him until AFTER he proposed. It was why she wanted such a short engagement.”

Itachi rubs the back of his head sheepishly more and Izuna looks rather uncomfortable. They were the more tactful members of the family, after all. "Yes, Sasuke didn't realize that she was pregnant until after he proposed. So it wasn't like that." He had to defend his brother, after all.

"What are you upset about?" Emiko clucks her tongue at him. "He married her. It's all very proper now. Maybe, they went a bit out of order, but still this is wonderful news." She beams at the knowledge she was going to be a grandmother. "We're going to be grandparents and I’m sure the baby will be absolutely adorable."

Hiashi steams a little, not at all pleased by how irresponsible young people could be. But…his wife did have a point. And he had long since been pushing Hinata to marry and give him grandchildren. He just never thought it would be with an Uchiha. “I suppose…even if it is with the Uchiha boy…”

She shakes her head and kisses his cheek. "Honestly, your standards may be a bit too high." Emiko smiles at her husband and caresses his cheek. "The man saved the lives of hundreds of people and survived God knows what as a prisoner of war." She really needed to reason with him, it seemed. "And despite all that, he seems to have made a full physical and seemingly even mental recovery. He's got a good job and he married her as is proper. They look so happy together. Who cares what his last name is?"

“Fine…” Hiashi could never fight his wife over anything. And the boy HAD survived what would have broken most people, seemingly more intact than anyone could have predicted. He still couldn’t believe that his daughter was an Uchiha, though. “But if he does ANYTHING to upset her, I’ll show him what true terror is.”

"Of course, you will my love." Emiko chuckles. She didn't have the heart to point out how foolish he was being. "I'm sure that he's trembling." If Sasuke could survive being a POW, he could survive whatever her husband threw at him, but it would be improper to point that out.

Kakashi smiles, highly doubting that Hiashi could do anything that would make Sasuke tremble. His subordinate was a resilient one, if nothing else. “Well, I’m sure that the two of them will have plenty of fun in Spain. Assuming, of course, that they ever leave the hotel room.”

Izuna looks at Kakashi in concern. "Let's not push our luck." The man was certainly treading on thin ice. Hiashi probably wouldn't react well to being reminded what happened on Honeymoons.

Hiashi twitches, before steeling himself and shooting a quick glare at the colonel. “I’m sure that Hinata will be eager to explore, and Sasuke will likely go along with it.” After all, his daughter was raised to be more cultured than…that.

"That's what we said on our honeymoon and about nine months later, Hinata came into our lives." Emiko giggles at the memory.

Another twitch and Hiashi wraps an arm around his wife’s waist, guiding her from the ballroom. Madara chuckles at the sight. “Ah, the Hyugas, it’s always amusing to see how proper they pretend to be. Though Hiashi really should try to have that stick pulled out of his ass.” Honestly, Madara couldn’t believe the size of their family sometimes. He could believe the size of his own, though it was actually rather small, considering how passionate an Uchiha could be. Then again, maybe Sasuke would help to bolster those numbers.

"At his age, I suspect that it's permanently lodged there." Izuna chuckles and shakes his head. "Well you know how Hyugas are." He smiles and Itachi breathes out a sigh of relief.

It was over now. They had managed to tell Hiashi about his impending grandfatherhood and everyone was still in one piece. "Well I guess we should go and enjoy the rest of the party." He smiles and leads Kakashi off. "Now, that we've dealt with my foolish little sister's request." After all, Hinata was his sister-in-law now.

Oh…Kakashi could definitely indulge Itachi in that much.

* * *

 

Sasuke kisses Hinata as he drops their bags on one of the couches of the Honeymoon Suite. “Welcome to Spain.” It had been a long flight across the Atlantic, but at least now they were safely out of range of her father. And they had no reason to even leave the room for a couple of weeks unless they got really bored.

Hinata smiles and returns the kiss. "It's beautiful here." It truly was, but the bluenette doubted that she was going to see much more than the glorious hotel room. "The rose petals on the bed were a nice touch." Indeed there were hundreds of red rose petals on the white bed in the shape of a heart.

“And you’re much more beautiful.” Sasuke’s eyes ran appreciatively over the short lacy white dress that Hinata had changed into before leaving the reception. After all, the wedding dress was pretty, but not very practical for wearing outside or escaping in. “I’m sure that there’s some champagne stashed somewhere around here, if you’d like some.”

"Sasuke, you know I didn't drink any champagne at the wedding." Hinata kisses his cheek. "I'd rather not risk it." She was pregnant. "Maybe, in a few months." She smiles at him and snuggles her husband a bit. "But if you want some, feel free."

That’s right, she’d had the sparkling peach spritzer. It looked close enough to champagne though, that anyone could have mistaken it for the commonly served champagne. Sasuke shakes his head. “I’m fine, I’m not really a drinker. That welcome back party was an exception.” It was the one time he would consider himself to have gotten drunk since high school.

She nods and burrows against him, smiling. "Alright. Well I have a surprise for you, but I need you to be a good soldier and follow my instructions to the letter." Hinata looks up at him. "Can you do that?"

“Yes…?” Sasuke was a bit bemused by the request, but if his princess wanted to surprise him, then he doubted it would be anything he didn’t like. “What do you want me to do?”

"Good." Hinata smiles and gestures to the bed. "I want you to strip and lay on your back for me. On the bed. With your eyes closed until I tell you to open them." She couldn't believe she was doing this, but they were married and Sasuke was doing so much better. Maybe, she could get away with it now.

Sasuke quirks an eyebrow, but doesn’t protest. He removes and folds his jacket, being careful about the pins as he lays it on the couch. Nonetheless, a striptease was fine with him, it would just make her all the more eager for some fun. And he did enjoy teasing her as the tie and dress shirt were the next to go, quickly followed by his pants, socks, and boxers, his shoes already lying abandoned near the closet. “And just what kind of surprise does my princess have for me, I wonder…” He shakes his head as he closes his eyes and lies back on the bed, his hands bent back behind his head.

Hinata blushes and smiles as she watches her husband's slow and seductive striptease. "I'm still not sure, how I got so lucky." The bluenette quickly discards her simple dress and pulls out a pair of fuzzy dark blue handcuffs.

The new bride quickly checks to make sure that Sasuke's eyes were still closed as she slaps the cuffs on him and straddles his waist. "Okay. You can open your eyes now." She was wearing her bridal lingerie that Mikoto had given her and well, it was both elegant and racy at the same time.

The two thinnest white straps in the world managed to hold it up over her shoulders. The snowy white corset hung dangerously low on her ample, creamy breasts with a flirtatious, pink bow in the center of it. The white lace that covered most of her stomach was semi see through and clung to her every curve, before ending with two pink bows on either side.

That wasn't all though. She also wore a skimpy, matching thong and had two white straps that reached over most of her bare legs until they found the matching white stockings. She felt a bit embarrassed at the fact that most of her backside was also exposed as that was one tiny thong, even by thong standards.

Sasuke had been surprised enough by the handcuffs. He knew that she’d wanted to try it for a while, but was always too skittish about his issues to give it a fair try. Though…fuzzy handcuffs were definitely not the same as what he was used to. Still, the handcuffs were NOT what had his attention. No, what held his attention was the extremely sexy lingerie that his wife was wearing while straddling his waist. And…well, that was quite the distraction, and a feast for the eyes. His eyes, and no one else’s. “I’m definitely surprised.” And hard, he was getting very hard very fast.

She smiles and kisses him. "In a good way?" Hinata glances down at him, checking to see if the handcuffs were okay. So far, so good. No panicking.

“You clearly haven’t looked at yourself in a mirror if you need to ask THAT.” Honestly, did she have an idea what she DID to him!?

"Good. I'm glad you like it." Hinata smiles as she leans over and nibbles on his ear. "Now, I want you to be a good soldier and beg." Her hands trail over the muscular expanse of his chest and abs suggestively.

Sasuke hums with amusement. “You want me to beg?” No good soldier begged. They followed orders, sure, but never begged. Though the nibbling did tickle a little, that much he would admit to himself.

She kisses his neck, nipping a bit. "Mhm. I want to hear you beg." Hinata sucks on his collarbone a bit, before pulling away and putting her hair up in a messy ponytail and toying with the straps of her corset. "I'm sure that you can manage that."

Sasuke groans quietly. His wife was good at teasing him, or maybe a cruel tease at times. How was he supposed to grant THIS request? Begging was…wholly unnatural to him. And even without his training, he wasn’t sure if his pride would allow it. “That…is a very difficult request to fulfill, Princess.”

"Yes, I can see how HARD this is for you." She smiles slyly and covers his chest in kisses, slowly stroking his erection with one hand. "But I have absolute faith that you can complete this mission successfully."

Trying to keep from groaning, Sasuke presses his head back into the pillow, staring at Hinata with one eye closed. “You’re a horrible tease, you know that?” Though he was pretty sure she could tell just by how quickly he was breathing. And he could tell how mean she was planning on being by the redness of the marks littering his chest.

She smiles slyly as she slowly pushes the straps down. "I know." Hinata practically purrs at him. "I learned from the best." The top of her corset was now in very real danger of falling down and revealing her perky breasts to his view. "You."

Sasuke’s eyes follow the movements, entranced by the sight above him. It almost reminded him of their first time together. She seemed to get some kind of thrill out of being on top. “Hinata…” And damn it was she good at playing with his cock. So good that it was rather disappointing when she stopped. Though…not as much as it could have been, considering the show he was getting.

"I like it when you say my name." She slides the top down past her breasts. "But I’m not sure that it really counts as begging." Hinata strokes him again and nips at his stomach playfully. "I want to hear how much you want me, before I uncuff you." She was playing a dangerous game and she knew it. Odds were, he could probably get out of the cuffs...if he really wanted to. "Then I'll let you fuck me." Though that just made it more exciting and she supposed Sasuke had always brought out her more deviant side. She felt like she could get away with almost anything around him.

His breath hitches at her words, her gestures, just…everything. “Damn it, Hinata…” She really was so deviant sometimes. He bucks up against her, trying to get her to change her mind. “Please Hinata…” That counted as begging, right? Well, maybe not much, but still.

Hinata smiles. Well it was a start. "Please what?" He was stubborn. She was probably going to have to take drastic measures. With that in mind, she moves her hand away from his throbbing cock and sneaks it underneath the lacy thong, while the other moves to her breasts.

If this didn't work, she was probably going to have to take drastic measures. "What do you want, baby?" She leans down and kisses him. Slowly and suggestively fondling her own breasts and her clit and rapidly slickening folds with her fingertips. She was already getting wet. "Do you want me to let you out of the cuffs or maybe suck you off?"

Sasuke’s brain froze at the choice. Cuffs or having her mouth… Well, his upper brain didn’t know what to think, and she was already leading him around by the dick anyway, so why not. “Mouth. I want your mouth, please…” His breath was coming in short pants, pupils dilated in onyx eyes.

"Alright." She caresses his cheek and smiles. "I love you. You know that, right?" Hinata slides down, moving closer and closer towards his arousal. "All I could think about on the plane and car rides here was this." She gives the sensitive tip a little lick. "Of cuffing you. Having your hands on me everywhere. Riding you. Having you take me." And with that, she takes him into her hot mouth and begins sucking as she looks up at him with adoring and lustful eyes.

It was all he could do not to choke her as his hips thrust up into her mouth. “Ah! Hinata!” There was only one place he preferred to sheath himself, and if this was what was making him wait, well…he could be patient. At least for a little while. Those eyes of hers sure made it hard to focus, though.

She smiles rather pleased at this reaction as she sucks harder. The bluenette tries her best never to break eye contact as she glides her head up and down the length of his cock. He seemed to like it better when she looked at him and well, she liked watching him get off anyway.

Sasuke could feel his cheeks heating as his climax came closer and closer. “Hina…almost there…” After all, how was he supposed to last when he had his gorgeous wife sucking him off while her sexy bridal lingerie was falling off her shoulders? He could already feel his balls tightening with his release.

She releases his cock from her mouth for a moment. "That's okay. You don't have to hold back." Before going back to licking and sucking him, even faster.

He couldn’t even if he wanted to. Sasuke came hard with a roar, bolts of pleasure racing through his veins as endorphins relaxed his muscles.”God damn…you’ve got a mouth on you, Hina.” He pants hard, his heart racing as he slowly comes down from his orgasmic high.

“Well practice makes perfect." Hinata giggles at him and kisses her lover. "I could say the same about you though."

Sasuke kisses back, his mind in a haze of pleasure. “Well, I do like to practice.” It was, after all, why their baby was here. “I can’t do a whole lot of practicing all tied up, though.” Well, he probably could, but it would be a bit uncomfortable. He holds his hands above his head. “Have the key tucked away in that lacy tease?”

Hinata nods. "Don't worry, I have the key." She smiles slyly at him. "And I’ll use it once you beg."

Oh you had to be kidding. She was STILL waiting for him to BEG!? Sasuke groans and closes his eyes, lowering his voice. “Hinata…please let me hold you.” Or he’d break the cuffs, take her ire, and have his way with her anyway.

"Your begging needs a little work, My Love." Hinata grabs the key out of the nearby drawer though. "But I’m sure you'll make it up to me in other ways." She smiles and quickly undoes the cuffs.

With his hands free, Sasuke wraps his arms around Hinata, squeezing her tightly as her flips them over, pressing his body down on her to keep her still as he nips her ear. “I can definitely make it up to you. Begging just doesn’t come naturally to me.” And he was usually good at following orders. Sometimes, though…his pride just got in the way if it was something inconsequential.

She mews cutely. "That sounds promising." Hinata smiles up at him. "How did you plan to make it up to me?"

“Well first…” He reaches for the clasps of the corset, his fingers learning quickly and working them open. “By getting you out of this uncomfortable looking corset.” After all, judging by the way her breasts bounce as he pulls the constricting fabric away, it was done up rather tightly. He dips his head down to suckle at her breasts, leaving marks on them before taking a nipple into his mouth and sucking hard.

"That s-sounds like a good start." She sighs in pleasure and arches against him. "You have no idea how hard it was to get into that thing." It was like a Chinese (well Japanese) torture device, but the results had been worth it! The look on Sasuke's face had been priceless.

Sasuke hums amusedly. “Well, like I said, feel free to wear nothing at all around the house. There’s no need to…constrict yourself.” His lips wrap around the neglected nipple, hi fingers traveling down to slide under the soaked thong. She was so wet, so eager, so…excited. He throughly enjoyed being able to arouse her so much without even doing anything. Though he did prefer a more hands on approach. Or in this case, fingers in!

Hinata whimpers wantonly at his touch. "Ah! I'll k-keep that in mind!" He could drive her so crazy with just a few caresses. "Sasuke!" She bucks against his fingers. "Please, baby!" Hinata knew that she was only half coherent, but she could already feel her lower half quivering in anticipation from his teasing. He'd be able to figure it out.

Sasuke smirks against her skin. Baby? That was a new one. But he wasn’t going to protest it if she was this far gone. “Alright.” Sliding off the thong and white stockings, he tosses them aside, not really caring where they land. Then, he leans down to nip at her other ear. “Just remember…you were the one who decided to be a tease.” His fingers pump deep inside her, loosening her up a little as his thumb rubs her clit.

"Y-You liked it though!" Oh God that felt good. She squirms against him. "And you know it!" Maybe she shouldn't have teased him that much because she had also been teasing herself. Now, she was soaking wet and completely at the Major's mercy.

“Can’t deny that…” Though Sasuke was pretty sure he’d like this part even better. He slides his fingers out as he kisses up her neck, thrusting into her perfectly, like they’d done so many times before. And with practiced ease, he starts to move, knowing where to strike inside her without even thinking about it.

Hinata gasps and moans as she wraps her legs around him tightly, sinking her nails into his back. "Yes! J-Just like that." God, that felt incredible. The feeling of him being so deep inside her was like pure ecstasy, making her scream his name.

Sasuke pulled back, slamming back inside her as hard as he was comfortable with. After all, there was a little passenger to consider. “Hina, scream for me.” He wanted to hear it, hear her scream his name again. After all, the room was soundproof, right? Not much point in not making the Honeymoon Suite soundproof.

"S-SASUKE!" The not so blushing bride had no problem doing exactly yes. "So good!" She arches against him sinfully as she tries desperately to match his pace. Eager to get more of his touch. more of this feeling.

Pressing his hands to the headboard, Sasuke slows his pace just enough so that there’s no danger of anyone having their tongue bitten as he leans down to plunge his tongue into Hinata’s mouth. At this rate, he doubted they’d ever make it out of the hotel room.

Hinata moans into the kiss and digs her nails into his back. She was practically drowning in a sea of pleasure and he was her only lifeline. So she clung to him.

Sasuke thrust harder, fingers moving to roll Hinata’s sensitive pearl between his fingers as his second orgasm of the evening barreled towards him…or was it morning…? Oh who cared about jet lag… All that mattered was Hinata’s voice in his ears, and the fact that he was deliriously close to tipping over the edge again.

"Sasuke!" She just couldn't stop screaming his name. "Oh God!" It felt too good. Her entire world had been reduced only to her and him and the hotel room, but she didn't mind. In that moment, it was perfect and that was her last coherent thought before she spiraled over the edge. "Sasuke!" She came hard and fast, screaming his name.

Spent, but not nearly tired yet, Sasuke slides out, smirking smugly. “So…” He takes a deep breath, admiring the sight of a flushed and panting Hinata. “Should we just tell room service to come by with food later?” Because it didn’t look like they were getting out of bed any time soon.

She manages to nod as she struggles to catch her breath. "Y-Yes." The bride snuggles into his side. "That would be a g-good idea."

Sasuke chuckles, indulging in some snuggling before suggesting another round. Besides, even he needed a little time to recover from THAT. “Then I’ll order something in a little while.” Probably a little of everything, since he wasn’t entirely sure what kind of Spanish food would appeal to Hinata. It wasn’t something he ever cooked. Hm…maybe he could slip away for a couple of hours and pick up a few cookbooks.

"That sounds good." She smiles and snuggles into him. "I guess you don't mind the handcuffs."

“No, I don’t.” After all, being restrained had been the least of his problems during the year from hell. But Sasuke could see why Hinata would be concerned about that as he plays with her hair. “You don’t have to worry about that. You have a calming influence anyway…you make me feel safe.”

Hinata smiles more at that. "Good. I"m glad." she kisses his cheek and snuggles. "You make me feel safe too. Well that and a lot of other things." She smiles mischievously. "Mostly things that would scandalize my father."

Sasuke smirks. “You think he’s freaking out yet?” He could just imagine the look on Hiashi’s face when he got the postcard.

"Hopefully, mother can calm him somehow because he's definitely freaking out by now." She smiles and snuggles. "Your grandfather is a very traditional man, but he means well." Hinata glances down at her stomach.

Shifting down, Sasuke presses his forehead to Hinata’s stomach. “Well, your grandfathers might be hard to deal with, but at least your uncle is going to love you. And your grandmothers will probably abduct you when we’re not looking.”

Hinata giggles. "He's joking." She smiles down at her still flat belly. "I think. Maybe." It was a good thing they had had their honeymoon now and not later. She never would have been able to fit into that thing in another month or two.

“If you think I’m joking, then you underestimate my mother.” The things that Mikoto Uchiha could do when she wanted something could be very scary. And Sasuke knew that firsthand. “It’s Karin and Suigetsu we’re going to have to look out for. Once they start having the hyper babies…” Sasuke shivers at the thought. “They’d cave to just about anything.”

"I love you, even if you are slightly paranoid." Hinata laughs.

Sasuke snorts in amusement. “It comes with the job.” He wouldn’t survive very long in the military without a healthy dose of paranoia.

"Well speaking of coming, we do have two weeks left on our honeymoon." She kisses him. "We might as well enjoy it."

“Hm…a good idea.” Sasuke rolls them over so that Hinata lies on top of him. “Care to continue enjoying ourselves?” He raises an eyebrow in jest, not really expecting her to refuse.

Hinata laughs. "I might be persuadable." The bluenette caresses her cheek. "If my knight is willing of course."

“More than willing…” Sasuke drags her down for a fiery kiss. Their honeymoon had only just begun, after all.


	39. Chapter 39

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Celestia193’s Author’s Note: Well, it’s been a long road, and we wrote this story so fast that it feel like it’s been three times as long as it actually has. Silver usually tries to make her stories happier, so you have me to thank/blame for a lot of the angst and psychological trauma. I did my part to make this as realistic as possible, doing all sorts of research and considering where the story was going. The story surprised me a few times, but that’s part of the fun of writing, going somewhere you never expected. It’s like an adventure. Anyway, here comes the conclusion, the final chapter, the longest chapter. I hope that you all enjoy it, and I’ll see you all when Silver and I get to our next collaborative work.

For a third grade class, today’s show and tell was ‘Bring Your Parent to School’ day. Simple, for most of the class, but less so for Ryuu Uchiha. While his mom was working a shift at the hospital, though offered to take the afternoon off for him, Ryuu was planning to present something a little different.

Hayate smiles as he holds his little brother’s hand. “Are you ready to talk about Dad in front of your class, Ryuu?” He smiles at the eight year-old, patting the little boy’s raven hair.

Ryuu’s pale gray eyes sparkle with excitement. “Yeah! Dad’s a hero, s-so I wanna tell everyone all about him!”

“That so…?” Hayate smirks at the thought. “You’re right. Dad’s a hero. And that’s why Mom is mad that he’s been gone for the last year and a half.” It had been a surprise, and they needed him overseas at an allied base.

Ryuu blinks, pulling on his big brother’s hand. “But Dad is gonna be home s-soon, right?” The youngest three had been most adamant about seeing their father again as soon as possible. Though Kaito and Sachiko were a little more reasonable than Ryuu.

“That’s right.” Hayate pokes Ryuu’s forehead, a habit he picked up a long time ago from watching his uncle and father interact. He thought it was funny, and picked up the habit of doing it to his own younger siblings. “He’s going to be home by tomorrow, I promise.”

Nodding happily, Ryuu tugs his brother towards his classroom, lunch break almost over. The high school had the afternoon off, so the sixteen year-old was here to watch his youngest sibling talk his class’ ears off for the five minutes he would get.

Kurenai smiles. "Ryuu Uchiha, it's your turn." She tended to do these things in alphabetical order. That meant that the adorable little boy was last. U's was near the end of the alphabet, so it made sense. "You can tell us all about your parents jobs, now if you wish. Don't be shy."

Hayate smiles at his little brother. “Go on, it’s your turn.” He pushes the little boy out of his chair and towards the front of the room. “Be brave Little Dragon!”

Ryuu scrambles over to the front of the class and smiles proudly. "My mommy is a doctor. She helps people get better when they get hurt. She is a physical t-therapist." He spoke with a small lisp like many children his age. "My daddy is a hero. He p-protects people. He's in the army." He makes a slightly awkward face. "Mommy isn't too happy about that sometimes because he had to go far away to a base, but he be back soon!" He grins.

Hayate snickers at the awed faces of the children, until one of them raises their hand. “Then where’s you mom and dad? Didn’t they wanna come today?” Oh boy…

"Dad's probably on a plane now." Ryuu frowns tears threatening to well up in his eyes. "He'll b-back soon and I told mommy that I could do this m-myself!" He waves his arms animatedly trying to hide his sad face. "She is working at hospital and that's i-important!"

As another kid frowns and moves to ask a question, probably about why their father was on a plane instead of here, Hayate coughs, loudly. “Hey Ryuu, why don’t you tell them about how Dad works at the base most of the time?”

"There's a base in the city." He smiles, happy to have his big brother there. "It's where lots of military people work! Dad usually works there, but he got called away to help in Ur-Rope." Apparently, pronouncing Europe was a bit out of reach for most eight year olds to pronounce.

Hayate nods, smiling reassuringly at his little brother. Even if all the other kids had their parents here, his little brother wasn’t alone. He would be there for his little two brothers, Kaito and Ryuu, his littlest sister Sachiko, and Airi and Emi, the twins. He was the big brother, so it was his job to look after everyone, even if the twins would be going to high school in the fall.

Then, there’s a knock on the door, and a familiar voice just outside the classroom. “Mrs. Sarutobi?”

"Yes?" Kurenai blinks. Maybe one of the parents was late. Why did that voice sound familiar though. "We're just in the middle of presentations."

“I know. May I come in?” There’s a chuckle outside, and Hayate’s heart beats faster. He knew that voice, he knew it well.

Kurenai nods. Probably a late parent. "Of course, please do come in." She smiles, not thinking much of it.

Sasuke smiles as he walks through the door to see the wife of his old sparring partner, Asuma. He’d been a huge help during those months of physical recovery. “Hello Kurenai, it’s been a while.” Still dressed in combat fatigues, much more comfortable to wear, and fresh off the plane from Germany.

"Oh Sasuke!" She smiles at him. "It's been forever!" And indeed it had. The better part of two decades, actually. "Ryuu was just telling us about your being in Europe."

“So I heard.” Sasuke turns his smile onto his youngest son, crouching down and holding out his arms. “Hello Little Dragon, did you miss me?”

"Daddy!" Ryuu runs over to Sasuke and practically knocks him over in an epic Tackle-hug of Doom. "You're back!" He was a lot stronger than he looked!

Chuckling, Sasuke regains his balance and rises to his feet, spotting his oldest son at the back of the room. His storm, a gale, and well-named, considering the chaos that Hayate could cause if he had a good reason. “So, what have I missed?”

Hayate rolls his eyes. “Enough that Mom is going to try to strangle you when we get home.” She was not pleased about Sasuke’s deployment, to put it lightly.

Ryuu makes a dizzy face. "Mommy tries to hide it, but she's MAD!" He nods knowledgeably.

Oh…Sasuke knew that much. “I meant here, Little Dragon.” He bounces Ryuu in his arms. “Your mother will have her chance later.”

Another of the students raises their hand to ask a question. “Are you really in the army?”

Sasuke chuckles again. “Yes, I am.” He’d gotten used to answering questions like that when the friends of his other children asked. “Any more questions for Ryuu and I?”

"Why'd you have to go far away?" A blonde boy asks in the back. "What were you doing over there?"

“I was transferred to one of our bases in Germany for a year and a half while they found a new commanding officer to post there on a longer basis.” And Sasuke had done his duties to the letter, in perfect safety, despite Hinata’s worrying. “And now that I’m home, I’ll be returning to Fort Hamilton to resume my duties there.”

Another kid tilts her head. "What's resume and commanding officer mean?" She looks confused, but Ryuu wasn't.

"Commanding Officer means a boss, boss in the army!" Ryuu smiles happily at her. "And resume means he's starting somethings again." And thus, the first inklings of puppy love and fangirlness were apparently already starting because the girl looks at him like he had just won the Nobel Peace Prize or something.

Oh boy, not this again. Sasuke shakes his head. “A commanding officer means someone who is important enough to be giving out orders and making sure that everything works properly. Usually a Major, or a Colonel, but sometimes a General might be involved in running a base during times of peace. It depends on what they’re good at, and what is needed.”

Ryuu nods sagely. "See? A boss, boss." Well they were kids. "Daddy big boss, boss. In charge of all the mini bosses." He smiles proudly.

Hayate snickers at the back of the room. “What Ryuu means to say is that Dad’s a Lieutenant General. So he’s pretty high up the chain of command.” Even his onyx eyes, identical to his father’s, glow with pride.

“That’s right.” Sasuke kisses his son’s forehead. Beckoning his oldest to his side as he turns to the teacher. “I hope you don’t mind, but I was going to sign Ryuu out early. It’s been a long time since I last sat down for dinner with the kids.”

"Well every parent has the right to sign their child out early." Kurenai smiles at him. "And this is a rather special occasion. Besides, after this it was just recess until day ended anyway." She nods at him still amazed that Sasuke was back. "So it's fine."

“Good.” Sasuke smirks as his turns to his oldest son. “Now, I heard that someone got their driver’s license. So you can drive the Armada home.” It was something of a joke in the family regarding the old Nissan, but it was a vehicle that got the job done when you had half a dozen kids.

Hayate blinks. “Wait, you’re actually going to let me drive?”

Sasuke chuckles. “Well, I’ll be riding shotgun to make sure nothing happens, and we’ll need to pick up your brother and sisters on the way. But yes, you can drive today.”

The teenager thought that this had to be some kind of dream. But his father looked perfectly serious. “Yes!”

"Yay!" Ryuu jumps up and down excitedly. "Let's go get the others! Mommy is going to be so happy!" And so was big brother because not only was their father back, but he could drive too! Ryuu couldn't wait to do the same someday. Though he was already AWESOME at bumper cars, he thinks to himself smugly.

* * *

 

As soon as Sasuke unlocked the door, three teenagers, two tweens, and his eight year old all race inside as the sounds of barking echoes through the house. “Remember to get as much of your homework done as you can before your mom gets home!” Some days, it was hard to wrangle so many kids. But…well, Sasuke was very good at getting Hinata to forget to take her birth control, until eventually she just switched to injections. After six, she swore no more. And Sasuke was fine with that. Six was plenty.

The barking ball of golden fur tackles Sasuke, nearly knocking him over as he takes off his shoes and puts them away. The eight year old golden retriever was a fixture in the household, a ‘drop-out’ from the police academy’s dog-training program. And something of a therapy dog, for Sasuke’s now rare panic attacks. Sasuke shakes his head at the dog named after his best friend, for being a bright ball of pure energy. “Down, Naruto. I missed you too.” He shoos the dog off of him as he passes through the crowd of overly excited children. “Homework!”

"Awe, come on!" Airi pouts at her father, her lavender eyes shimmering as she twists her fingers into Naruto’s fur. "It's been a year and a half since we last saw you in person and you tell us to do homework?" She was the most outgoing of the twins and her raven black hair was already pulled back into a ponytail. She had just gotten done with cheerleading practice.

Sasuke rolls his eyes. “Yes, and I’m going to be making dinner tonight. So do your homework while I’m busy with the food, that way everyone is free after we eat.” Honestly, he tried to teach his children about time management, but the louder twin didn’t seem to ever want to learn the lesson.

Emi smiles at her father. "We already got our homework done during study hall anyway." She snickers mischievously. "It's just strange to see you as uptight as Grandpa!" She was shyer than her sister, unless she was around her family. Emi had the makings of a great CIA agent, according to Itachi. There was nothing that could be kept secret from her!

He was NOT as uptight as either of their grandfathers. Still, Sasuke sighs. “Alright, then if you’re done, come and help me in the kitchen.” He hangs his jacket up. “And not all of you, there’s only so much room in there.” He walks into the kitchen, rifling through the cupboards and fridge, finding them all well-stocked. “What do you kids want for dinner!” And he prayed they wouldn’t say pizza.

Ryuu beams up at him. "Ice cream!" Yeah! Ice cream sounded really good!

The twins were a bit better, but he still got what he didn't want to hear. "Pizza sounds good." They smile at their father.

Of course they wanted pizza. Sasuke shakes his head. “Fine, but you two have to help cut up the toppings. And wash your hands first!”

“Yes Dad!” The twins grin and happily help their father with the pizza toppings. They liked take-out pizza well enough, but nothing beat the taste of their dad’s home-cooked food.

“I’ll help make the dough.” Hayate pushes past his father and towards the cupboards to fetch the ingredients, they were going to need a lot of dough to make pizza for eight people. He had been taught how to cook when he was younger, but lost interest in it during middle school because the other guys said it was girly. He’d picked it up again a year ago when he saw that it made the girls like him more. “Oh, and Aoda’s been fed, but he’s out of his tank again.”

Sasuke shakes his head. “Alright, just make sure to put him back in the tank before bed.” The last thing he needed was his pet boa getting tangled up in something again. Aoda was the sweetest snake you’d ever find, good with other animals, even with their dog for some reason, which is why they could let him slither loose through the house. Sasuke would often find those two cuddled up together, Aoda snuggled into Naruto’s fur. That said, Aoda could get himself tangled up in just about anything, and he’d had to rescue the silly snake more than once.

Then he catches sight of dark scales, and he rolls his eyes, waving his hand at the curious eyes and flicking tongue. “Aoda, out of the kitchen!” And with laughter echoing from every corner, the snake actually slithers off the counter, onto the floor, and off towards the living room, no doubt to cause some trouble out there instead.

* * *

 

About two hours later, the pizzas were done and a car was pulling up into the driveway. Hinata's car.

Sasuke glances out the window as he puts the last pizza stone on its stand, cooled enough now to not burn anyone. Hinata was home. That meant that he was really in for it. “Okay kids, remember the protocol for if your mother murders me after coming through that door?”

Hayate rolls his eyes, smirking just like his father from behind spiky bangs. “Call Uncle Itachi and Uncle Kakashi. They’ll take care of the body.”

“Exactly.” Sasuke had taught his children well. Or at least his oldest, he still had some work to do on the rest of them. At least Hayate was turning out to be something of an army brat. Already a black belt, and studying firearms in his free time.

Ryuu blinks and looks at Sasuke in horror. "Mommy wouldn't seriously kill Daddy." He pauses and looks up at him with big, wide eyes. "Would she?" Ryuu gulps.

“Probably not, Little Dragon, but it never hurts to be prepared.” And Sasuke knew that this time, Hinata was not going to pull punches. She was furious about his last deployment. A month or two here or there, she could tolerate, but eighteen months…well, she hadn’t been pleased about that.

That's when Hinata walks into the door. "Anyone home yet?" It was a hit or miss thing. The high school students tended to get out before the elementary school and middle school. Her eldest son and the twins might be home. The bus arrival times varied a bit.

Hayate smirks wider. “Hey Mom, we’re in the dining room! And there’s a surprise waiting for you!” Now, it was time to sit back and watch the fireworks.

Sasuke shoots his son an annoyed look. But it didn’t stay long. He could never stay mad at his kids unless they did something REALLY stupid. And even then, they had to work for it. Besides, he’d gotten some basic rules through their heads. No smoking, no drugs, and no alcohol until they were of age, and then, only sparingly, because all of those things were bad for their health. And he was not above using visuals to drive the point home. Fortunately, he’d had The Talk with Hayate before leaving for Europe, and he was due to have it with the twins once they got to high school. He had it all planned.

Everything…except this.

"Alright. Coming!" Hinata smiles when she smelled pizza. "Did you make dinner for everyone? That was really sweet of you." That's when she saw HIM!

Sasuke was standing next to their children. Sasuke was home! With...pizza? Hinata froze as her eyes widened. She didn't know what to say or do, but she knew that she couldn't make a scene in front of their children. She was torn between throwing her arms around him and kissing him like there was no tomorrow, kissing him, or hitting him. Hard and repeatedly. In rapid succession.

Well, she wasn’t slapping him, yet… So, Sasuke smiles. “Welcome home, Princess.” He pulls out a seat on the girls’ side of the table. It was just easier to organize it that way, less fuss over who sat where. “Dinner’s ready.”

It was quite possibly the hardest thing she'd ever done, save for childbirth or seeing Sasuke when he first tried to stumble four steps forward in that hospital, but Hinata did it. "Welcome home." She manages force a smile that she hoped was believable as she kisses his cheek and takes her seat. "I'm sure the children have so much to tell you."

“Yes, they’ve been talking my ear off every since we got home.” It had not been quiet in the kitchen that day, that’s for sure. Sasuke kisses his wife’s forehead, before taking his seat across from her. “Hayate and the twins helped with dinner.” Sasuke smirks, despite the dread in his heart at seeing the fake smile. “It looks like he finally caught on that women like men who can cook.”

Hayate glares at his father, a rosy blush coating his cheeks. “That’s not it! I just wanted to be able to make whatever I wanted.” A total lie, he loved his mom’s cooking. Loved his dad’s cooking more, but he’d never tell either of them that.

"That does tend to happen, when someone is gone for a year and a half." A year and a fucking half. Eighteen months of pure Hell. "Hayate is becoming quite the skilled chef." Hinata smiles at her eldest son. "And popular with the girls. He's not nearly as shy with women as you were at his age." Thank goodness for her children or she likely would have gone mad. (That or made use of Konan's counseling).

Oh…yeah, she was definitely angry. Her fury was bubbling just under the surface, and Sasuke could see it. Still, he smiles. “Then I guess I should teach him the arts of burning stacks of love letters, and how to run away from girls who try too hard.” After all, Hayate did look startlingly like him, and the resemblance only seemed to grow by the day. The boy looked like he did in high school.

Hayate rolls his eyes. “I’m not going to resort to arson, Dad.”

Ten year-old Sachiko gapes at her father through a piece of pizza. “Wait, you burned love letters!?”

Sasuke nods, working through his own plate. “Every Friday I’d collect up the dozens of letters and burn them right in the schoolyard.”

Hinata shakes her head and shoots him a dirty look. "You're setting a wonderful example by encouraging them to trigger the fire alarm." She crosses her arms and huffs.

“Hey, I said in the yard, not inside the school.” Sasuke had been pretty careful about that. “I never set off the smoke detectors even once.”

"Such a responsible arsonist." Hinata bites into her pizza, unsure of what else to do or say. "How was school today?"

Ryuu grins widely, pizza sauce all over his face. “Daddy came shwooping into class today when I was presenting! It was so cool!” He loved his daddy, he had the best timing ever!

Hinata smiles and leans across the table to kiss his cheek. "Yes, your father is good at swooping in and saving the day." A little too good actually. That's probably why they asked him to take all these damn deployments.

Once his little siblings have stuffed themselves full of pizza, Hayate grabs Ryuu and Sachiko, shooting significant looks at Kaito and the twins. “Come on, let’s get a movie started, and Mom and Dad will come down in a bit, okay?” He could tell that there was going to be a talk, another talk, and this one was going to be worse than the others. So it was best to hide out in the den until then.

Hinata nods gratefully at Hayate. "Yes, we'll be down in a little while." She didn't know if that was exactly true or not, but eventually she would come downstairs. "Sasuke, I'll meet you in our room." And with that, she heads upstairs. At least their room was soundproof.

Sasuke sighs, moving to clean up after dinner. He could do the dishes later. Maybe… It…depended on how this conversation went.

Three minutes later, Sasuke opens the door to the bedroom he hasn’t set foot in for so long. And as he steps inside, he braces himself. “Hinata?”

Her back was towards him. Maybe, if she didn't turn around, the mother of six wouldn't break down. "You missed seven birthdays and one anniversary this time." And she didn't really count video conferencing together as an anniversary. "Not to mention all the holidays, sports events, and everything else." She sighs and shakes her head.

Sasuke closes the door behind him, making the room completely soundproof. “I know.”

"I hate it." She bites her lower lip, hoping to at least keep the tears out of her voice. "I always have. I wanted you to take that discharge. You didn't." She feels the tears start flowing. "But I thought that was fine. You were getting promoted. You'd be safe." Hinata trails off. "And you have been, but I never thought you'd get deployed repeatedly. I don't know why I thought they'd let you stay here." It was stupid. She never should have assumed such things. It was ridiculously naive.

She tries to compose herself. "I want to be a good wife. I want to be supportive of your dreams, but it's hard." The bluenette bites her lower lip again refusing to wipe away the tears from her cheeks. "To wake up alone for a month or more at a time. For a YEAR and a HALF!" She crosses her arms. "To worry that every time that damn phone is going to ring, they're going to want you to leave AGAIN!"

Sasuke stays quiet as she lets out her anger, knowing full well that it’s completely warranted. “You are an amazing wife, Hinata, the best I could ever dream of. And you have every right to be upset.” He walks up behind her, wrapping his arms loosely around her waist. “The deployment to Germany was a surprise, but there’s a reason they did it. A reason that I think you’ll like.”

"If I was truly that amazing, you wouldn't leave so much." Hinata doesn't protest the hold, but she doesn't lean into it. "What is it?" She doubted anything was going to make up for losing him for eighteen months.

Well, she wasn’t pushing him away, that was good. And Sasuke had some rather important news to break. “I’m going to be taking over Fort Hamilton again for the next year. Ten months for normal operations. And then…two months to train and transfer authority to the new officer who will be taking my place when I retire next year and take up an advisory position with the Department of Defense.” They’d known that he was going to retire, and was offered a casual position with the DoD, which is why they’d squeezed one last deployment out of him while they had the chance.

Fort Hamilton was good. He'd spent most of his time there and it was in the same city. He'd be home, but only for a year? "Well that's something at least." …Wait a second… "Y-You mean it?" Her back was still turned to him. Hinata was afraid that even turning around would prove this was just another dream. "No more? Just a year at Hamilton and then you're o-out?" She blinks. Not really sure that her own personal nightmare was really over. That it was only a matter of crossing some i's and dotting some t's.

“That’s right. Everything has already been finalized.” Sasuke nuzzles her hair, liking the change in her tone. “Apart from maybe the occasional few days here and there to go to the Pentagon or to Capitol Hill, I’ll be able to do everything I need to from the home office.” He didn’t use it as much as the office at the base, but it was convenient to have, nonetheless. “There will probably be some long conference calls, but apart from that…I’ll have a lot more free time.” So much that Itachi might actually drag him to his own FBI office to help out with cases. Sasuke doubted that his brother even knew the meaning of the word retire. Itachi loved his job that much.

"Thank God." She shudders against him in relief. "I don't think I would have been able to do it again." He was home! He was actually staying! "Just g-give me a minute to call Itachi and Kakashi and to send out a g-global text message." She wipes away the tears from her eyes as she shakily reaches for her cell phone and dials the number. Why she wanted to call his brother and his husband was a bit of a mystery though. As was the global text message.

“Mhm…” Sasuke’s arms curl tightly around her waist as he hums into her hair. He knew that she’d been waiting for this for a long time, for him to retire. He could technically have tried to go another ten years, but twenty-six sounded like a decent number, twenty-five if you left out the year from hell. A full pension…over seven thousand dollars a month of it, and the money that would come from his casual position at the Department of Defense meant that he’d still be bringing in what most people would consider to be a very good salary. But he’d worked hard for it, and now it was time to let someone else climb the ladder.

She fires off the global text message first.

**_Sasuke back from deployment. Going on second Honeymoon. Itachi and Kakashi watching kids. Will contact you all when we get back. Don't worry. ~ Hinata_ **

She leans back against him as she calls Itachi and Kakashi. "Would you mind watching the kids for awhile?" Even Ryuu, their youngest was eight. He could mostly fend for himself as long as he had moderate supervision. "Sasuke, just got back and we have some good news to celebrate. He's going to run Fort Hamilton for a year and then take a DoD job. No more deployments!”

She would have asked either her parents or Sasuke's, but they were all getting up their in years. A house full of mostly teenagers would have been quite the handful for them. So it was up to Uncle Kakashi and Uncle Itachi in her mind.

On the other end of the line, Kakashi blinks. “I think we can do that.” He glances at Itachi, working hard on a profile at his desk. “And, it’s about the right time for Sasuke to finally retire. One more year, and that’ll be when an officer usually bows out.” He covers the receiver with his hand. “Itachi, it sounds like Hinata would like to relive her Honeymoon. She wants us to watch the Army.”

"It's not a problem for me." Itachi smiles and kisses Kakashi's cheek., "You know how much I adore my nieces and nephews and if anyone needs some quality time together, it's them." He couldn't imagine being away from Kakashi for eighteen months. How his sister-in-law was still sane, he didn't know. He couldn't manage eighteen days without Kakashi's touch, let alone months!

“Alright.” Kakashi uncovers the receiver. “We’ve got the kids. Where are you planning on going?”

Hinata pauses as she considers it. "The bed, the shower, probably the kitchen counter top, definitely his study, and maybe a few other places." The mother of six nods sagely.

Kakashi blinks slowly. “In that case…maybe a sleepover is best.” The kids would probably get no sleep at their own house, if Hinata was planning on commandeering it like that. It’s a good thing that Kakashi’s own house was…not small. There were advantages to retiring as a high ranking officer, especially when you had a promising subordinate following right in your footsteps. Sasuke had made it just as far as he had, and in less time too.

"Yes, I thought that you wouldn't mind taking them for...awhile." She wasn't really sure how long it would be. "Um tentatively..." She glances at Sasuke up and down. "Two weeks?" He was a soldier. He had good stamina as she had found out first hand. Yeah. Two weeks sounded good.

Sasuke’s eyes widen. Two weeks? She wanted two whole weeks of… He smirks nervously. “Well, my princess is rather demanding, isn’t she?”

"You're right." Hinata nods as she looks at her husband again. "That's probably not realistic." She smiles. "Three might be more accurate."

Kakashi chuckles at the sound of Sasuke’s voice, covering the receiver again. “It sounds like Mrs. Uchiha is going to be ravishing her husband for a few weeks.”

Itachi blinks at that and smirks. "Well it seems my foolish little brother is receiving a very WARM welcome home." He chuckles at that.

No doubt he was… Kakashi shakes his head, smiling as he removes his hand. “Alright, tell the kids to pack their vacation bags. We’ll be over to pick them up in half an hour.” He figured that the couple would want to get started on their second Honeymoon as soon as possible.

"Thank you, Kakashi." Hinata smiles and goes into the bathroom to make herself presentable. "Just give me a minute to make sure it isn't obvious that I was upset." The last thing she needed was to explain puffy eyes to her children.

As Kakashi hangs up the call, Sasuke follows Hinata to the bathroom, his heart aching a little at seeing the tears on her face. “I’m sorry that I made you cry.” It was something he hated doing, and hated himself for doing.

She sighs as she wipes her face, doing her best to look more presentable. "It's not your fault." Hinata looks back at him. "I was naive. I should have known what it meant to be an army wife."

Sasuke sighs, picking up a soft face cloth and running warm water over it, before dabbing gently at Hinata’s eyes. He could apologize for the tears, but he couldn’t apologize for his career choice. “I’m glad that this talk ended differently than the other ones.”

"Me too." She sighs and leans back against him. "Everything is so perfect when you're here, but when you’re not...it's horrible." Hinata quickly corrects herself. "Not during the day. Not when I have work or I'm with our children. I love them more than anything, but at night…" She trails off.

Sasuke wasn't Naruto. God bless that lovable idiot (who was still madly in love with Sakura and the two of them now had twin boys), but he had always been terrible at reading between the lines. Sasuke wasn't though. He'd understand what she meant.

“I know…I missed you too.” Sasuke presses a kiss to her neck. “Every night we were apart…” It had been hard to get any kind of relief, and there had been a lot of cold showers and restless sleep. “And I’ll let you have anything and everything your fantasies have dreamed up the last eighteen months.”

She sighs and leans into him more. "I wouldn't know where to start." Eighteen months was a long time. There were so many reunions she had envisioned. Some were appropriate for their children to see, but most weren't. "I just figured that I'd have you make love to me until I couldn't move or I passed out." It stung her pride to admit it, but Sasuke was a soldier. Hinata was in excellent shape, but when it came down to it...well he simply had more stamina.

“I think I can do that…” Sasuke takes her ear between his teeth and nibbles on it. “Just start, stop, and add things whenever you feel like it, and we’ll see where it goes from there.” He does smirk around the curve of her ear, though. “And we’ll get through that whole checklist of yours. Starting with the study.”

"I love you." She mews cutely. "But we should probably wait until Kakashi and Itachi get here and the kids are gone." Hinata smiles.

Finally, he was home. Their family was complete again. Six children, one large pet snake named Aoda that acted more like a puppy than a boa constrictor, and one golden retriever that was named after Sasuke's best friend. That wasn't all though.

Shockingly, even Taka had settled down. Suigetsu and his ‘sexy banshee’ hadn't strangled each other yet. Which was frankly a miracle. Jugo, the gentle giant, had eventually married Ino. And all of them now had kids of their own.

"We don't want to traumatize our own children too badly." Hinata laughs and smiles more. "Konan isn't equip to counsel children that walked in on their parents." And oh yes, Konan was still with her lovers. Hell, even Tsunade had gotten cozy with Jirayia. And then there was Madara and Izuna, those two were completely crazy. Thankfully, Naori was starting to tame the ancient lion. (It was about time that someone did).

Finally, there were their own parents. Speaking of traumatizing, Fugaku and Hiashi had been forced into early retirement by their wives and Hinata had noticed some disturbingly racy items tucked away in her own mother's closet (and even Mikoto's).

"And I don't think that our parents are either." She laughs because it didn't take a genius to realize how the grandmothers had managed that. Between their grandchildren and loving marriages, it seemed that the Uchiha and Hyuga Patriarchs and Matriarchs were more than enjoying their retirements! Just as Hinata was sure she would GREATLY enjoy Sasuke's own ‘retirement’.

Sasuke chuckles. “Fine. I’ve waited a year and a half. What’s another fifteen minutes?” The doorbell rang. “Make that ten.” The kids could pack fast, right?

"Ten minutes sounds good." Hinata smiles and goes downstairs. "Kids, you're staying with Uncle Itachi and Uncle Kakashi for awhile. Your father and I have a lot of grown up things to sort out." She smiles and cuddles them all to her chest. "We aren't fighting anymore. Your father got a new job. It's all going to be okay. We just need some alone time."

Hayate raises an eyebrow, before immediately going a little green. “Right, uh…give us like…ten minutes.” He turns off the TV and starts pulling his siblings upstairs. “First one done packing gets to raid uncle Kakashi’s freezer for ice cream!”

There was a chorus of excited babbling as the Army races upstairs to their respective bedrooms to pack.

Hinata smiles. Hayate was such a bright and helpful boy, good at reading between the lines, just like his father. "Thank you, Hayate." She giggles as she watches the children head upstairs to pack. "Well that was easy."

Shaking his head as his oldest disappears last, Sasuke makes a note to buy Hayate something nice for his birthday in a few months. The kid made an excellent home lieutenant, even if his personality was a little on the wild side. “So…” Sasuke’s smirk returns in full force as the sound of the kids running around upstairs, throwing clothes and toys into their bags filters downstairs. “Would you like to add the den to the list?”

She smiles at Sasuke. "The den could be fun." The den could be very, very fun, actually.

Listening as the children pack, race downstairs, and stomp out the door, Sasuke’s expression transforms into something very eager, and extremely smug as he kisses his wife. “So…where does my princess want to be ravished first?”

"I figured that my knight could choose." She smiles as she kisses him back.

“You make it so hard to choose…” Once the sounds of the vehicles pulling away are gone, Sasuke pounces, nuzzling Hinata’s neck playfully. “But as you wish, my princess. We’ll start right here now that the kids are gone.”

As he kisses his way across her skin, Sasuke thinks back to the letter in his bag, the one he wrote long ago when they first started dating, and the one he updated and rewrote every time something happened. Something good, something bad, and especially when he had to be away from his family. And he knew that in a few decades, he would update it again, at least one more time.

 

**_Dear Hinata,_ **

**_It’s been years since the day I fell in love with you, over a love letter of all things. I know that it wasn’t meant for me, at least…not consciously. But I treasure the connection all the same. I read the letters over in my head, just like you read my poetry books when you think I’m not looking. It’s alright, I want you to know how I feel, the good and the bad, the loneliness and sadness, and the love and joy as well._ **

**_When I was broken, you healed me, gave me strength when I was about to fall apart, and grew bright as my light in the darkness. Without you, I wouldn’t be here today. The years I’ve spent with you have made all of the pain and heartache more than worth it. You and the children are my world, and I would do anything to protect all of you._ **

**_I know that I’m difficult to handle at times, and my work even more so. But you’ve loved and supported me, and that means more to me than you’ll ever know. And though I’m retiring, this part of me will never go away. You know that. And somehow, you accept that. And for that, I can’t possibly love you enough._ **

**_I’m a mess, I know that too, I have been for a long time, and I probably always will be. The nightmares still come from time to time, even though your presence gives me peace._ **

**_You won’t receive this letter for a long time, I hope. There’s a chance you’ll never see it, though I hope the day comes when you do, when you’re old, wrinkled, and your hair has long since gone gray. It will mean that I’m gone, for good this time. But eventually, we’ll see each other again._ **

**_For now, though, this letter will stay put. You’ll get it when the time is right. Just know this. You deserve all of the happiness in the world, a throne and a crown for my princess, my queen. You deserve better, so much better than me._ **

**_But I do love you,_ **

**_Sasuke_ **


End file.
